The legend of Glover Teixeira has been growing for months.

He lived up to the hype tonight, battering Fabio Maldonado with bruising and devastating punches on the feet and a steady dose of ground-and-pound on the mat, prompting a doctor’s stoppage after the end of round 2.

Teixeira started quickly, dropping Maldonado with a big left hand, then went to work with a barrage of right hands and elbows from the top. Teixeira went to his signature arm triangle choke after Maldonado extended his arm to lessen the ground-and-pound attack. The choke looked tight, but a resilient Maldonado somehow survived. After a restart, Teixeira again landed huge shots, wobbling Maldonado. Maldonado leaned on the cage to survive, but managed to uncork a left hook that stunned Teixeira as time wore down on the opening frame.

Teixeira came out in the second with a quick takedown and went right back to work, battering Maldonado with elbows and strikes from the top. Maldonado amazingly hung tough as Teixeira continued to pour on the punishment. After a restart, Teixeira again landed with looping left hooks and straight right hands. Maldonado survived to hear the bell, but the fight would not go to a third round.

After a close examination by the doctors, the fight was waved off, giving Glover Teixeira (2-0 UFC) yet another finish as he moves to 19-2 overall.

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