The UFC 215 Preliminary card on Fox Sports 1 saw the return of Gavin Tucker, whose promotional debut at UFC Halifax in February has been one of the most talked about debuts of the year. Tucker danced circles around Sam Sicilia in that bout, showing flashy striking and a sense of showmanship that caught many by surprise.
For his sophomore outing, the UFC paired Tucker up against former WSOF featherweight champion Rick Glenn, who entered UFC 215 coming off a split decision win over Phillipe Nover at UFC 208. It was no easy task for Tucker, who definitely appeared to be on the fast track in the 145lb weight class. For “The Gladiator,” meanwhile, it was a chance to build a win streak after losing his promotional debut in a Fight of the Night effort against Evan Dunham last year.
Right off the bell, Glenn caught Tucker with a punch then grabbed his neck while still on the feet. Tucker would quickly escape and recover, beginning to show some of the high-level movement he displayed in his debut fight. Tucker then began to land a number of blows upstairs on Glenn, and mix in some spinning back fists. He then took the back, and began looking for a takedown/trip. Breaking off a clinch, Tucker would land a solid uppercut. Stance switches and creative angles were the key to his attack, as Glenn looked to counter. In the final minute, it was Glenn who took control, landing a big left to drop Gavin Tucker, then following it up with knees.
Round two saw Tucker come out looking angry, and land a number of blows early. He was then tripped by Glenn, who landed on top and looked to pass guard. Tucker attempted to roll into a leg lock, but opened himself up to further damage and gave up his back. He would, however, make it back to his feet. Tucker looked exhausted, and appeared to be having vision issues from a cut by the eye. He was soon being manhandled by Glenn, who was landing shots and taking down the shorter fighter almost at will. Another heel hook attempt while on the ground failed for Tucker, who again made it back up. Glenn, for his part, stayed on his opponent like glue, landing serious ground and pound in the final minute of the second round.
An exhausted Gavin Tucker started the third possibly behind on the scorecards. Almost immediately covering up and eating shots, he was soon pushed up against the fence. A desperation takedown attempt led to Tucker himself being put on his back with over three minutes remaining in the final round. A number of heel hook attempts by Tucker failed, while he ate more and more punishment and was bloodied and bruised. Exhausted, barely able to defend, Tucker was allowed to fight on, despite often giving up his back. Intelligent defense was lacking, but the ref let it continue. Tucker made it back to his feet in the final seconds, eating a front kick for his efforts before the bell sounded. With that, the hype train for Gavin Tucker was at least temporarily halted by the more tenured Rick Glenn. The third round was easily a 10-8 for Glenn, possibly even a 10-7.
Rick Glenn def. Gavin Tucker by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 29-27)
