Glover Teixeira hopes to be the backup for Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya's title fight at UFC 259
UFC veteran Glover Teixeira has been on an impressive winning streak and has put the rest of the light heavyweight division on notice in his 40s. While the UFC has booked Jan Blachowicz in a title fight against Israel Adesanya next, Teixeira hopes to be the backup on the upcoming light heavyweight title showdown.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Glover Teixeira has claimed that he has expressed his interest in being the backup for the upcoming light heavyweight title fight. However, the UFC is yet to give an offer to the veteran Brazilian, who has insisted on doing a camp for UFC 259 and also get paid at the same time.
“It’s a position that I told the guys, but we haven’t gotten an offer, but we talked about it. I’d do the camp, and of course I have to get paid somehow to do the training camp and bring guys in and everything.- Glover Teixeira told MMA Junkie Radio.
Glover even mentioned his last win over Thiago Santos and claimed that if the latter had beaten him in that fight, then Marreta would've been given the title shot, anyway.
“But really man, I’m in a position where my next fight should be a title fight. I beat all the guys they put in my way. I beat Thiago, who had fought for the title and then he fought me, and if he won that fight, he would’ve probably gotten the title (shot) anyway."- added Glover Teixeira.
Glover Teixeira has been on a terrorizing run in the UFC's light heavyweight division. The veteran fighter's winning streak started with a victory over Karl Roberson and Glover even went on to beat Ion Cutelaba and Nikita Krylov to cap-off 2019. In 2020, Teixeira defeated Anthony Smith, in one of the most gruesome one-sided beatings in UFC history.
In his final fight of the year, the 41-year-old submitted Thiago Santos in the third round of their fight.
Glover Teixeira will have to wait for his next title shot
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will be getting the next shot at the UFC light heavyweight title. The Last Stylebender will be the first to challenge Polish sensation Jan Blachowicz, who won the title at UFC 253, the same PPV where Adesanya defended the middleweight title against Paulo Costa.