BELO HORIZONTE — Glover Teixeira is the next one in the line for a shot at the UFC light heavyweight title, but he’s not impressed with his own performance.
Teixeira, now 5-0 in the UFC, showed a huge heart to recover after being knocked down by Ryan Bader early in the first round at UFC Fight Night 28 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, but he rallied to finish the TUF 8 winner with strikes.
“There’s a lot of things to learn,” Teixeira said during the post-fight press-conference in Brazil. “I was a little anxious, thinking about the knockout all the time. I was waiting for the opening to attack. I was on his range and that was a mistake. I have to fight my fight, with more head movement. I was too flat-footed and he tagged me with that left cross, and then the danger started.
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“I was upset. Bader is a great fighter, but I wanted to get there and win without getting punched. That’s the secret, hit without getting hit. But like Pedro Rizzo told me after the fight, I fought one of the best guys in the world and won, so I shouldn’t be upset.”
Teixeira said he wasn’t surprised with Bader’s striking, despite being rocked twice early in the fight.
“His hands didn’t surprise me because I already knew he had heavy hands,” he said. “I got a little dizzy, but that’s part of the game. I have to be well-prepared to get the wins. In boxing, you have the 10-second count but we don’t have it in MMA, and that’s what makes this sport better. I had to overcome that situation the way I could. Ryan Bader is a dangerous fighter in every aspect of the fight, and he also tried that guillotine, but I was prepared. The crowd helped me overcome, and it felt great to fight here.”
Dana White was impressed with his performance, and gave him the bonus for the “Knockout of the Night”. He also earned his the shot at the UFC title. With five wins inside the Octagon, Teixeira believes he’s ready to win the title.
“Of course I do,” he said. “I have to focus on different training. Bader is a tough, high-level opponent who already beat some of the best in the division. I believe in my game and I’m sure my knockout power and my submissions will make the difference.”
Jon Jones looks to defend his title against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 on Sept. 21, and Teixeira expects Jones to remain the champion.
“I don’t have any preferences,” he said. “My dream is to get the belt, but I believe Jon Jones will win. And I hope Jones wins because he has a bigger name and he’s the champion for a long time. I have to come here prepared to beat him. I have the knockout power to do it. If my hand lands, he will go down.”