We take a look at why did Glover Teixeira turn down a fight against Magomed Ankalaev when his rematch against Jiri Prochazka fell apart?
On Wednesday, UFC president Dana White told ESPN that light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka had vacated his title due to a serious shoulder injury. Prochazka (29-3-1), 30, was scheduled to defend his title against Glover Teixeira in the main event of UFC 282 on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas. He announced his decision to relinquish the title in an Instagram post on Wednesday, explaining that he had hurt his shoulder while preparing for the Teixeira fight. Prochazka has stated he will require surgery and be sidelined for at least six months, with his estimated time of recovery exceeding a year.
The UFC offered Glover Teixeira a fight against surging contender Magomed Ankalaev for the now-vacant light heavyweight throne, but the Brazilian declined. Teixeira wanted time to prepare for the completely different stylistic matchup, however, the UFC could not hold back the division.
Speaking with ESPN, Teixeira further shed light on the decision:
“I told them I needed more time for this guy, that he has a different style. The guy is a southpaw. I said, ‘What about fighting him in Brazil’ (at UFC 283)? They denied that and said they needed someone to fight in Vegas. I said, ‘OK, I’ll fight Jan in Vegas. If you’re going to throw me off, Jan has a regular stance. Ankalaev is a totally different game. I need more time.”
Furthermore, he added: “I think I’ll fight the winner of the two, because I’m still the No. 1 contender. But they can take anybody they want. They can take someone not even ranked to fight for the title, because it’s their company.”
The way he sees it, this could probably be his last shot at the title and Glover Teixeira does not wants to leave any stones unturned in preparation:
“This could be my last chance to fight for the title. I want to win this belt. I’m training like a maniac. I am a professional. Every time I show up, I put on a great fight. Win or lose, I’m not going to go in there and just show up to fight a guy because they say so. This is a dangerous game, and I need to prepare myself the best I can. My family is watching me. I have a lot of students in the gym watching me. I need to be professional. So, I am 100 percent behind the decision I made.”
Glover Teixeira’s message to Alex Pereira going into the final round of his title fight against Israel Adesanya
Alex Pereira’s cornermen were in no mood to play any games at UFC 281. They meant business and did everything in their capacity ahead of the fight to get inside Israel Adesanya’s head. Fresh footage has now emerged of his teammates performing explicit gestures and staring Adesanya down during the pre-fight customary introductions by Bruce Buffer.
The hyped-up cornermen led by former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira were visibly fired up and tried to outstare ‘The Last Stylebender’ standing across the octagon. Pereira on the flipside had ice in his veins and eyes locked on to the target before the referee started the fight.
Not just that, they pushed Alex Pereria to steal victory from the jaws of defeat in the final round. Speaking about the message he gave ‘Poatan’ for the final round, Glover Teixeira said:
“He looked at me…I have to knock him out? And I said you better knock him out… How many times he got close to trying the combos we worked on in the chest, because it’s hard to hit his head. But eventually, he did in the fifth, I’m so happy man. It’s going motivate me for next month.”
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