Glover Teixeira Discusses Training Partner Alex Peireira’s Bout at UFC Fight Night 203

The MW division just got put on NOTICE

[ #UFC268 | Prelims are LIVE on ESPNews & ESPN+ ] pic.twitter.com/wZbuaYuLal

— UFC (@ufc) November 7, 2021

Glover Teixeira will take a break from preparation for his title defense against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275 to travel to Las Vegas to attend UFC Fight Night 203.

Not because the winner of the main event between Magomed Ankalaev and Thiago Santos might be his next opponent, but because his No. 1 training partner, Alex Pereira, will be facing Bruno Silva on the evening’s main card.

"I dont like to see Brazilians getting in the way of each other's dreams. But at least they are in the most important MMA promotion in the world,” Teixeira told Sherdog.com. “No doubt ‘Blindado’ will be the toughest challenge of [Pereira’s] career. Besides being an M-1 champion, the guy is coming off three impressive knockout victories. But ‘Poatan’ is a different animal, and I see Silva’s aggressiveness playing into his hands.”

Texeira says that it’s more than talent that makes Pereira, a former two-division Glory champion, stand out. What truly makes “Poatan” special is his humility and willingness to learn.

"I've already trained with many top kickboxers and most of them thought they already knew everything concerning the standup game, not having an open mind,” Teixeira said. “The fact is that MMA striking is different from kickboxing. ‘Poatan’ is the opposite. He is always open to learning and that's how he is evolving so fast.”

Teixeira also pointed out that training with three Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts and top-notch local wrestlers on a daily basis is helping Pereira to become more comfortable on the ground.

“It's getting harder and harder to take him down and when you get there, his strength never fades until he breaks your grip, gets up again and you get tired,” Teixeira said.

"Besides that, he has a champion’s mind and trains harder and harder each day. I truly believe that by 2023 at the latest he will be challenging for a UFC belt.”