UFC Fight Night 28: 6 Memorable Moments from Teixeira vs. Bader Fight Card

UFC Fight Night 28 got off to a rough start. The fight card began with some extremely poor bouts, and that definitely limited the number of memorable moments on Wednesday night in Brazil.

However, the main card fighters got the ball rolling for a fun night.

The final three bouts of the night made up for the early atrocities. The elite of the MMA world stepped up and showed how they earned their spots in the upper echelon of their divisions. It was a stark contrast to how the show opened up.

These are your most memorable moments from UFC Fight Night 28. 

Lucas Martins' Violent Finish

Lucas Martins corked Junior Hernandez, and he was out on his feet. That didn't stop Hernandez, though.

Martins moved in for the kill, and Hernandez gave him the opportunity to finish. Martins locked in the standing rear-naked choke, and the two fighters fell to the mat. Hernandez tried to hang tough. He refused to tap, but Martins squeezed until the lights went off.

The Brazilian picked up a big win in his home country.

Martins put the first signs of life into the event by removing Hernandez's. 

Bagautinov's KO Finish

Ali Bagautinov and Marcos Vinicius battled for over three rounds. The fight looked like it would be heading to the scorecards.

Bagautinov had other plans.

He drilled Vinicius, and then finished up his work on the ground. Strong ground-and-pound forced the referee to stop the bout as he punished Vinicius until he was out.

It was a solid way to kick off the main card to a fight card that had been lackluster overall. 

Hallmann Gets Kimura Win

Piotr Hallmann ate some big body kicks early, and he was hurt. Francisco Trinaldo tried to finish, but Hallmann stayed in the fight.

The fight went to a second frame, and Trinaldo was considerably slower. He may have tired himself from going after the finish so furiously. He paid the price.

Hallmann stunned the Brazilian crowd with a Kimura finish. Trinaldo tapped, and the boisterous crowd went silent. A big win for the Polish lightweight in his UFC debut.

He moves to 14-1 in his MMA career. 

Benavidez Lands Hard Knee

Joseph Benavidez is the No. 1-ranked bantamweight, and it showed on Wednesday.

Jussier Formiga is a formidable opponent, but Benavidez is just a much better fighter. When he landed a hard knee to the body, Formiga fell to the ground. Benavidez was all over him until the ref peeled him off his latest victim.

It will be hard to deny Benavidez a title shot after another impressive performance.

Regardless, Wednesday night was a strong showing for the former title challenger. His striking has improved greatly since the arrival of Duane Ludwig at Team Alpha Male. 

Jacare Demolishes Okami

Yushin Okami was the No. 3-ranked middleweight and one of the most tough and durable in the division. Ronaldo Jacare ran right through him.

Okami allowed Jacare to come forward at his pace. Jacare's dynamic and fast striking gave Okami problems early and often. He nearly got the stoppage early with a flurry of punches against the fence, but Okami covered up well.

Jacare then dropped Okami with a hard shot, followed up on the ground and forced Leon Roberts to save Okami. It was one of the most—if not the most—impressive performance of the night.

The question is, what next? Jacare certainly could be next in line for a title shot. This is the type of performance that warrants consideration. 

Teixeira Earns Title Shot

Glover Teixeira finished Ryan Bader in exciting fashion, and now the title shot is all his.

Bader looked good early, and his hands were quicker than Teixeira's. Bader clipped Teixeira, and he tried to move in for the kill.

Teixeira connected in the exchange with a clean shot that hurt Bader. Once Teixeira got on top, it was academic. He laced big ground-and-pound through Bader's defense, and Herb Dean was forced to step in.

A solid performance, but it showed some weaknesses for Teixeira.