Thiago Santos vs. Glover Teixeira headlines September UFC event

A battle of top-five light heavyweights will headline a UFC event in September as Thiago Santos will make his return to the Octagon against Glover Teixeira.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto first reported the Santos vs. Teixeira matchup. It is set to take place on September 12 at a newly-revealed UFC event that as of right now has very few details about it, though we’re sure to find out more about this event soon.

Breaking: UFC in the process of finalizing Glover Teixeira vs. Thiago Santos to headline event on Sept. 12, per sources. pic.twitter.com/TRdt06NyGB

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 7, 2020

Breaking: UFC in the process of finalizing Glover Teixeira vs. Thiago Santos to headline event on Sept. 12, per sources.

This fight between Santos and Teixeira will pit two of the most elite light heavyweights in the UFC against one another, and the winner of this fight will surely factor into the title picture of a division in flux. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has promised to sit out the next three years while campaigning for fighters’ rights, and though he hasn’t officially been stripped or vacated his belt yet, that’s still a very real possibility.

With Santos vs. Teixeira now booked, it seems likely the UFC will set up a matchup between Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz for the title unless the UFC plans on striking a deal with Jones to have him fight one of those two for the belt. Jones has made it very clear lately that he won’t fight unless he gets what he wants from the UFC, so the promotion may finally be making moves to get the light heavyweight division rolling.

Santos (21-7) is the No. 2 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. The 36-year-old Brazilian is 13-6 overall in the UFC, including an impressive 3-1 while fighting at 205lbs. Some of his notable victories include Jan Blachowicz, Jimi Manuwa, Eryk Anders, Anthony Smith, Jack Hermansson, and Gerald Meerschaert. Out of his 21 career victories, 15 of them have come by way of knockout and Santos is one of the most feared strikers in the division.

Teixeira (31-7) is the No. 5 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. The 40-year-old Brazilian has an overall record of 14-5 and he is currently riding a four-fight win streak. In his last fight, Teixeira picked up one of the biggest wins of his UFC career when he finished Anthony Smith at UFC Jacksonville back in May. He also has notable wins in the Octagon over Rashad Evans, Jared Cannonier, Quinton Jackson, Misha Cirkunov, and Ryan Bader.

Who do you think wins, Thiago Santos or Glover Teixeira?