Jon Jones has two words for Glover Teixeira: “Speed kills.”
The reigning UFC light heavyweight champ was on the defensive on Wednesday night following Teixeira’s first-round knockout win over Ryan Bader at UFC Fight Night 28 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
In several posts on Twitter, Jones lashed out at fans for being illogical and overreacting to Teixeira’s performance. He compared Teixeira to a slightly better version of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Teixeira extended his UFC record to 5-0 on Wednesday after scoring an impressive knockout victory over Bader, a former ranked light heavyweight contender. Despite a decisive ending, the win didn’t come easy for Teixeira, who looked to be in serious trouble early on the feet.
Bader dropped Teixeira with a left hand and went for broke with a flurry of punches in a desperate attempt to put the Brazilian away. Teixeira, a seasoned MMA veteran, remained patient under duress and eventually found an opening for a counter right hand followed by a crushing left hook that flattened Bader.
He immediately hopped on Bader after the punch and followed up with more ground shots before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight at 2:55.
After the fight, Teixeira admitted he wasn’t happy with his performance, but in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Jon Anik, he vowed to come back stronger and defeat either Jones or Alexander Gustafsson for the light heavyweight title:
To tell you the truth, I wasn‘t happy with this fight. I was disappointed he was able to knock me to the ground. … I’m telling you, this belt is going to be mine. I don’t care if it’s Jon Jones or if it’s Gustafsson, it’s mine.
In a little over two weeks, Jones is slated to defend his title against Gustafsson at UFC 165, with the winner moving on to face Teixeira. The news was confirmed at the UFC Fight Night 28 post-fight press conference.
There is still a bit of mystery surrounding Teixeira, who has yet to defeat a top-10 light heavyweight opponent. Is he overhyped or a legitimate threat to the UFC light heavyweight title?
The answer lies only in the test, which will either be Jones or Gustafsson.
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