UFC Hamburg set records -- but not ones UFC fans were exactly pining for.
The show tied the all-time UFC high for decisions on a show with ten, but there was a little bit of clarity among top fighters, and one making a name for himself.
#8 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, a legend of PRIDE FC, went into his fight with Anthony Smith having the attention of new double champion Daniel Cormier, which didn't sit too well with Smith. Smith put an end to any of Rua's title hopes -- possibly for the rest of his career. Early in the first round, Smith used his outstanding range to blitz and destroy "Shogun."
The win prompted former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and UFC Of Fox panelist Rashad Evans to simply say "that boy's for real." Smith retired Evans last month, and called out Alexander Gustafsson for UFC 227 in just two weeks. However, it was later revealed that Gustafsson is injured and will not fight at UFC 227.
#3 Light Heavyweight Glover Teixeira continued the win-loss-win-loss path he's been on since 2016, as he dropped a unanimous decision to #9 Corey Anderson. Despite landing a few of his signature uppercuts throughout the fight, it wasn't enough to overcome the wrestling of Anderson, coupled with the wrestling of the latter.
For Anderson, it serves as the biggest win of his MMA career, and his first winning streak since 2015-16. Anderson took this fight on only two weeks' notice after Glover's original opponent Ilir Latifi fell out of the bout.
Top-15 Heavyweights in #9 Marcin Tybura and #13 Stefan Struve were fighting to stay relevant in the division after both men had suffered back-to-back losses. After a couple of early takedowns from Tybura, Struve gained the advantage with a beautiful front kick, that led to him getting taken down again. This continued through the duration of the third round with some added ground and pound, which led to Tybura ending his losing skid with a unanimous decision win.
You can see Fightful.com's full UFC Hamburg live coverage at this link.
