Although many fans of the UFC have been quick to name Glover Teixeira the No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight division, Teixeira is not so quick to do so. According to a report on Sherdog.com Saturday night, Glover Teixeira (20-2) is in no hurry to award himself that title. Furthermore, he does he believe it's his place to call out the winner of Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen.
“That’s not my job. The No. 1 contender right now is Chael Sonnen. You have to respect that,” Teixeira told Fox Sports after his unanimous decision victory over Quinton Jackson in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 6. “I think Chael is a good fighter, but I believe Jones is going to keep the title. [Waiting for the winner] is going to take too long. I want to fight before that.”
After putting on yet another impressive performance Saturday night against Quinton Jackson, many have called for him to be next in line for a title shot. He had a nice mixture of takedowns, punches and kicks throughout the fight, not allowing Jackson to mount any sort of effective offense of his own. Near the end of the first frame he dropped Jackson. However, he could not finish the fight before the end of the round.
“He’s tough, man. I knew he was tough. This is a guy who has pride. I hit him with good shots, but he hits hard, too,” said Teixeira. “I couldn’t become cocky in that situation and get caught with a punch, so I took my time. I swear, I hit him hard. I hurt him, and I thought it was going to be a knockout.”
Prior to the fight, there had been quite a bit of hype. Quinton Jackson, who has said this will be his final fight within the UFC has traded a variety of verbal jabs with the Brazilian. Despite the back and forth between the two, Glover Teixeira insisted he has always been a fan of Jackson and his fighting style. He added those feelings were reciprocated following the bout.
“I’m a big fan of Quinton Jackson. He’s my idol,” said Teixeira. “[After the fight, Jackson] said, ‘Now I’m your fan. Go and be a champion.’ I would never disrespect him. It was amazing. It was a great fight with him.”
Comments