Tallison Teixeira survived a late flurry from Tai Tuivasa to score his second career win inside the Octagon at UFC 325.
Tuivasa came out and immediately put pressure on Teixeira. That proved to be a mistake as the Brazilian quickly secured a takedown near the fence. Tuivasa worked his way back up, but was quickly put back on the mat — this time with Teixeira landing in full mount and fishing for an arm-triangle choke.
Again, Tuivasa fought his way upright and pressed Teixeira’s back against the fence, riding out the remainder of the round.
Tuivasa found some success in the second, cracking Teixeira with a booming right hand. That prompted Teixeira to shoot for a takedown. Initially, Tuivasa defended the attempt, but it didn’t take long for Teixeira to adjust and put his opponent’s back flat on the mat.
Teixeira kept Tuivasa down through the bell, likely going up 2-0 on the scorecards.
Teixeira was completely exhausted coming out for the third round. That allowed Tuivasa to push the pace and catch his opponent with a combination. But just when it appeared that the tide was turning, Tuivasa’s gas tank started to run empty, leaving both fighters sucking wind in the final minutes of the fight.
Teixeira shot for a desperation takedown after eating a nasty elbow. Tuivasa defended, but was unable to take advantage of the position, sending us to the scorecards where ‘Bam Bam’ would come up just short of an epic comeback.
Official Result: Tallison Teixeira def. Tai Tuivasa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Check Out Highlights From Tai Tuivasa vs. Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325: