Facing a man 12 years his junior, Glover Teixeira proved he’s still a relevant force at light heavyweight, picking up a decision win over Nikita Krylov.

The light heavyweight bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 16 co-main event at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The event streamed on ESPN+.

After a patient start from both men, Teixeira was able to reach down on a single and bring the fight to the floor with relative ease. Krylov worked from his back, but Teixeira was heavy on top and landed several big punches, forcing his opponent to move. Teixeira took advantage, slipping around to the back and looking for options. Krylov kept himself compact and found a way to escape out the back door, reversing immediately to top position.

Teixeira powered his way out of the bottom spot, but he soon found himself defending a rear-naked choke. It looked deep, but Teixeira refused to quit, twisting to create space and looking to get his back to the mat, working himself free. Once back on the feet, the two men traded shots until the bell in a few spirited exchanges.

Teixeira held the center to open the second, with Krylov circling on the outside. In the striking exchanges, Krylov looked the quicker man, but Teixeira was unquestionably dangerous, landing a big left that certainly caught his opponent’s attention. Krylov kept with his stick-and-move approach, and he sliced Teixeira open on the forehead. Teixeira gave chase, trying to cut off the cage, eventually pausing in the center and shrugging. Krylov stayed on his horse, forcing Teixeira to continue the pursuit.

Krylov eventually moved forward in the final minute, dragging the action to the canvas and finishing the round on top.

The two met in the center to start the third, and Teixeira immediately grabbed a guillotine choke and fell to guard. It looked tight, but Krylov was able to pass the guard to initially relieve the pressure and then break the grip to escape. While that gave Krylov top position, Teixeira quickly powered his way off the bottom and reversed his position. From there, Teixeira latched in a sneaky armbar, but Krylov was able to pull free with relative ease, and they moved back to the feet.

The two continued to work in close quarters as the round unfolded, and Teixeira again turned to the guillotine choke, but it would prove unsuccessful. The gamble brought the action to the floor and gave Krylov top position. Teixeira refused to stay there, escaping out and circling to the top in the closing seconds and finishing the round there. The contest was close throughout, but Teixeira was awarded the split-decision result, 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28.

Teixeira (30-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) now owns a three-fight winning streak, with all three wins coming in 2019. Krylov (26-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC), who fought to a decision for the first time in his career, falls to 1-2 in his past three outings.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 16 results include:

• Glover Teixeira def. Nikita Krylov via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Todd Duffee vs. Jeff Hughes declared a no contest (accidental eye poke) – Round 1, 4:03
• Tristan Connelly def. Michel Pereira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
• Uriah Hall def. Antonio Carlos Junior via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Misha Cirkunov def. Jim Crute via submission (Peruvian necktie) – Round 1, 3:38
• Augusto Sakai def. Marcin Tybura via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:59
• Miles Johns def. Cole Smith via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Hunter Azure def. Brad Katona via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
• Chas Skelly def. Jordan Griffin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Louis Smolka def. Ryan MacDonald via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 4:43
• Austin Hubbard def. Kyle Prepolec via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)