Gaziev vs Teixeira: Heavyweight Power Meets an 83-Inch Reach in Doha

Shamil Gaziev and Tallison Teixeira don't tend to linger. The heavyweights' UFC fights average 7:17 and 3:45, respectively, and they have combined for 17 knockout wins and 18 first-round finishes. They meet at UFC Fight Night: Prochazka vs Stirling at ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Gaziev, 36, represents Bahrain and has been competing in the Octagon since December 2023. He is 15-3, with 10 wins by KO/TKO, three by submission and only two on the scorecards, and 10 of his fights have ended in the first round. His UFC numbers tell a story of power over volume: 2.90 significant strikes landed per minute at 46% accuracy and a 0.77 knockdown average, set against 4.86 absorbed per minute and 45% striking defense. He does real work in the clinch, where 19% of his significant strikes land, averages 1.03 takedowns per 15 minutes and stops 83% of takedown attempts against him.

Teixeira, the 26-year-old Brazilian known as "Xicao," is 9-2 and made his UFC debut in February 2025. Seven of his nine wins are knockouts and eight came inside the first round. His UFC numbers are bigger across the board: 4.85 significant strikes landed per minute, 63% accuracy and a 1.60 knockdown average, more than double Gaziev's. He's a threat on the mat as well, averaging 2.40 takedowns per 15 minutes, with 29% of his significant strikes landing on the ground. The hole in his game is defense: he avoids just 41% of significant strikes and absorbs 4.10 per minute.

Size favors the Brazilian. He stands 79 inches to Gaziev's 76, and his 83-inch reach is 4.5 inches longer. That gap shapes everything. Teixeira wants the fight at range, where his accuracy and length do the damage; Gaziev needs to get inside and tie him up, the same clinch work that already makes up nearly a fifth of his output. With both men absorbing more than four significant strikes a minute, mistakes will be costly. The key question: can Gaziev close the distance and drag the fight into the clinch before Teixeira's precise power finds its mark?

Prelims start at 6 p.m. local time, with the main card at 9 p.m. Given Teixeira's 3:45 average fight time, stepping away at the wrong moment could mean missing the finish. Get your seat: Gaziev vs Teixeira tickets in Doha.