FB TW IG YT VK TH
Search
MORE FROM OUR CHANNELS

Wrestlezone
FB TW IG YT VK TH

Dana White Reacts to Glover Teixeira’s Plea for Title Shot: ‘He’s Not Wrong’



It’s been more than six years since Glover Teixeira last challenged for UFC light heavyweight gold, but the Brazilian veteran is knocking on the door for another title shot in what should be the twilight of his career.

Advertisement
The 41-year-old Teixeira won his fifth straight fight in the UFC on ESPN 17 headliner, submitting Thiago Santos with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Making the victory even more impressive was the fact that Teixeira finished the man who battled pound-for-pound superstar Jon Jones to a split decision at UFC 239 in 2019.

After his victory, Teixeira pleaded for another chance to claim UFC gold.

“I want that belt, man. It’s a dream,” Teixeira said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I live a simple life. I don’t fight for the money, I fight for the belt. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m disciplined. That’s why I work so hard. That’s my dream.

“I know it’s not an easy task. There’s still a big fight ahead of me, but I want that chance. But I think I deserve it. I think I work hard for it and I deserve that chance for the belt. That’s my opinion. I hope it’s the fans opinion too and everybody else.”

Las week, UFC president Dana White revealed that reigning light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz would next defend his crown against 185-pound title holder Israel Adesanya at a future date. Teixeira’s emergence makes things interesting, a fact that White acknowledged.

“As I was listening to him give his interviews, he’s not wrong,” White said on the post-fight show. “He’s like, ‘I deserve this shot.’ He’s been here forever. He’s on this streak. He looked great tonight. And what’s funny is every time I count this guy out and think I don’t know if he’s got it, he proves me wrong. He looked incredible tonight.”

Teixeira was able to survive adversity on the feet to drag Santos into his world. “Marreta” rocked Teixeira early in Round 1 but spent most of that frame as well as the second round on his back. Santos had one final salvo when he floored Teixeira in Round 3, but the veteran regained his bearings, reversed position and secured the fight-ending maneuver.

“I was able to see the punches and everything. The guy, his nickname is Sledgehammer for a reason,” Teixeira said. “Every punch he throws is very powerful. In the third round, when I got down, I knew he was gonna go crazy. I knew to take my time and I had to survive because he’s gonna get tired.

“First round he was strong. Second round, he’s getting weaker. I needed another 20 seconds in that second round [to finish the choke]. It was so close. In the third I knew I was gonna finish him. In my mind, ‘This is the round.’ But then I [got] caught with a little punch there, a little off balance, but I was able to pull it out.”

It’s possible that Teixeira could get a title shot sooner than expected if Blachowicz vs. Adesanya doesn’t come to fruition. At the very least, Blachowicz isn’t lacking for potential options for his first 205-pound belt defense.

“It’s something we need to figure out,” White said. “But I heard him, I agree with him and I’m taking him serious. I’m not going to doubt this guy anymore.”

Teixeira, whose 12 finishes are the most in the history of the UFC’s light heavyweight division, knows his recent work is difficult to overlook.

“Dana is a fair man,” Teixeira said. “I know that he knows my hard work. My finish says it all. I’m 41 years old and finishing fights. The guys that went to decision with Jon Jones, I finished them. I go for finish. Chuck Liddell told me a long time ago, you want the UFC to like you, go after finishes [in] fights … That’s my thing. I want to finish fights.”

More

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required
Latest News

POLL

Will Conor McGregor fight in 2024?

FIGHT FINDER


FIGHTER OF THE WEEK

Ben Tynan

TOP TRENDING FIGHTERS


+ FIND MORE