RIO DE JANEIRO — Glover Teixeira co-headlines UFC 179 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 25, and he decided to change a few things for this training camp.
Teixeira had his 20-fight win streak snapped by UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in his last appearance inside the Octagon in April, and he realized he made the wrong decision in his camp for “Bones.”
“I lost the fight, and as soon as I got out (of the Octagon) I knew I had to change a few things in my camp,” Teixeira said during a media day recently in Rio. “I’m in there to have fun, win or lose. I will go back to my roots, respect my body and train what I always trained without focusing on what my opponent does instead of worrying about what I have to do.”
Teixeira will face another wrestler in Davis when he returns to the cage, but he doesn’t see any similarities between “Mr. Wonderful” and the UFC kingpin.
“Jon Jones is taller, it’s a completely different game,” he said. “Jon Jones goes for the takedown on the clinch, while Phil Davis uses more double legs. I think Phil Davis has better takedown combinations than Jones. And I think Phil Davis if going to train hard his boxing skills because he knows it won’t be easy for him. He might even take me down, but he knows it won’t be that easy.”
The Brazilian light heavyweight plans to dominate Davis as he did in his five wins under the UFC banner, leaving no room for debate.
“I will keep the pressure as I always do. I’m going to do what I did to Bader, te Huna and Rampage. I’m going to do that,” he said.
“I’m going for the finish. It won’t be a close fight. I thought Lyoto won his fight against Phil Davis (at UFC 163), but I didn’t protest because it was a close bout, either could win. I’m going to prove that I won, and I challenge the judge to rob me. It won’t go the distance, but I’d love to see how the judges would give him the win after I clearly win all three rounds, beating his face. They can put his father there as a judge and it won’t help.”
Davis’ last three wins came against Brazilians, and Teixeira believes that a win over him is huge for his title aspirations.
“Phil Davis is at the top for a long time, he’s a tough guy, so he’s another step in the division,” he said. “I don’t think about Davis, (Daniel) Cormier or other top fighters. I want to fight and beat a top opponent, then fight another top opponent, and then fight for the belt again. This time, I will get that f—ing belt.”
Daniel Cormier is up next against UFC champion Jon Jones, but Teixeira is not a believer that the AKA talent will dethrone “Bones” on Jan. 3 in Las Vegas.
“Everyone has a chance, Cormier is a great fighter. He has a chance, but I think it’s tough,” he said. “Jon Jones has more qualities.”
Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson are gunning for their shots at the UFC gold, and Teixeira wants Jones to stay at the top until he gets another chance for the title.
“I hope (he stays champion). It would be nice to fight for the title and have my rematch at the same time,” he said. “For me, it would be taste better. But if (Jones) loses, I don’t even want to look at his face [laughs]. I just want the title.”
RIO DE JANEIRO — Glover Teixeira co-headlines UFC 179 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 25, and he decided to change a few things for this training camp.
Teixeira had his 20-fight win streak snapped by UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in his last appearance inside the Octagon in April, and he realized he made the wrong decision in his camp for “Bones.”
“I lost the fight, and as soon as I got out (of the Octagon) I knew I had to change a few things in my camp,” Teixeira said during a media day recently in Rio. “I’m in there to have fun, win or lose. I will go back to my roots, respect my body and train what I always trained without focusing on what my opponent does instead of worrying about what I have to do.”
Teixeira will face another wrestler in Davis when he returns to the cage, but he doesn’t see any similarities between “Mr. Wonderful” and the UFC kingpin.
“Jon Jones is taller, it’s a completely different game,” he said. “Jon Jones goes for the takedown on the clinch, while Phil Davis uses more double legs. I think Phil Davis has better takedown combinations than Jones. And I think Phil Davis if going to train hard his boxing skills because he knows it won’t be easy for him. He might even take me down, but he knows it won’t be that easy.”
The Brazilian light heavyweight plans to dominate Davis as he did in his five wins under the UFC banner, leaving no room for debate.
“I will keep the pressure as I always do. I’m going to do what I did to Bader, te Huna and Rampage. I’m going to do that,” he said.
“I’m going for the finish. It won’t be a close fight. I thought Lyoto won his fight against Phil Davis (at UFC 163), but I didn’t protest because it was a close bout, either could win. I’m going to prove that I won, and I challenge the judge to rob me. It won’t go the distance, but I’d love to see how the judges would give him the win after I clearly win all three rounds, beating his face. They can put his father there as a judge and it won’t help.”
Davis’ last three wins came against Brazilians, and Teixeira believes that a win over him is huge for his title aspirations.
“Phil Davis is at the top for a long time, he’s a tough guy, so he’s another step in the division,” he said. “I don’t think about Davis, (Daniel) Cormier or other top fighters. I want to fight and beat a top opponent, then fight another top opponent, and then fight for the belt again. This time, I will get that f—ing belt.”
Daniel Cormier is up next against UFC champion Jon Jones, but Teixeira is not a believer that the AKA talent will dethrone “Bones” on Jan. 3 in Las Vegas.
“Everyone has a chance, Cormier is a great fighter. He has a chance, but I think it’s tough,” he said. “Jon Jones has more qualities.”
Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson are gunning for their shots at the UFC gold, and Teixeira wants Jones to stay at the top until he gets another chance for the title.
“I hope (he stays champion). It would be nice to fight for the title and have my rematch at the same time,” he said. “For me, it would be taste better. But if (Jones) loses, I don’t even want to look at his face [laughs]. I just want the title.”
Bibiano Fernandes last defended the One FC bantamweight championship in May, and he desperately wants to get back in action.
The Brazilian fighter, who holds a 4-0 record under the One FC banner, looks to get back in action in November, but has yet to get a call from the promotion about a date and an opponent.
“They said maybe November, but I have no idea when I’ll fight again,” Fernandes told MMAFighting.com. “I want to fight as soon as possible.”
Coming off three five-round fights, Fernandes doesn’t know who’s next. Undefeated prospect Dae Hwan Kim could be the next in line, but One FC hasn’t made it official yet.
“I don’t know who I’m fighting next, but there’s this guy, Dae Hwan Kim, who is really good. He has a good muay thai,” he said. “It could be him, but I don’t know yet. I’m waiting for their call, but I will keep training.”
Fernandes, also known as “The Flash,” earned this nickname due to sub-minute wins in MMA and jiu-jitsu, but hasn’t done the same recently. The Brazilian is unbeaten inside the One FC cage with all of his four wins coming by way of decision, and he wants to change it.
“I haven’t submitted anyone recently. I get to the positions, but I make mistakes,” he said. “I don’t know, but I think my flight is one of the issues. (One FC) just gives me three days at the hotel before the fight, so I take a 20-hour flight and don’t have enough time to recover my strength. Maybe that’s it. I don’t know. But I miss it.”
A former DREAM featherweight and bantamweight champion, Fernandes wants to stay active. He fought eight times in 22 months for DREAM between 2009-2011, including two one-night tournaments, but hasn’t done the same at One FC.
“There was a year when I fought four times for DREAM, and I just fought once this year,” he said. “My body misses it. I’ve been fighting for 23 years and my body is used to fighting. I want to fight. If they want me to fight in two weeks, I would take it. I’m in. I’m just waiting.”
Hungry for new challenges, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is open to other types of competition.
“Metamoris is really nice, I think that’s the future (of grappling). I will fight MMA next, but if Metamoris wants me in, I’m in,” Fernandes said. “Gi, no gi, let’s go to war. I’m a professional athlete and I’m always training. If I have an opportunity to compete at Metamoris, I’d definitely do it.”
Bibiano Fernandes last defended the One FC bantamweight championship in May, and he desperately wants to get back in action.
The Brazilian fighter, who holds a 4-0 record under the One FC banner, looks to get back in action in November, but has yet to get a call from the promotion about a date and an opponent.
“They said maybe November, but I have no idea when I’ll fight again,” Fernandes told MMAFighting.com. “I want to fight as soon as possible.”
Coming off three five-round fights, Fernandes doesn’t know who’s next. Undefeated prospect Dae Hwan Kim could be the next in line, but One FC hasn’t made it official yet.
“I don’t know who I’m fighting next, but there’s this guy, Dae Hwan Kim, who is really good. He has a good muay thai,” he said. “It could be him, but I don’t know yet. I’m waiting for their call, but I will keep training.”
Fernandes, also known as “The Flash,” earned this nickname due to sub-minute wins in MMA and jiu-jitsu, but hasn’t done the same recently. The Brazilian is unbeaten inside the One FC cage with all of his four wins coming by way of decision, and he wants to change it.
“I haven’t submitted anyone recently. I get to the positions, but I make mistakes,” he said. “I don’t know, but I think my flight is one of the issues. (One FC) just gives me three days at the hotel before the fight, so I take a 20-hour flight and don’t have enough time to recover my strength. Maybe that’s it. I don’t know. But I miss it.”
A former DREAM featherweight and bantamweight champion, Fernandes wants to stay active. He fought eight times in 22 months for DREAM between 2009-2011, including two one-night tournaments, but hasn’t done the same at One FC.
“There was a year when I fought four times for DREAM, and I just fought once this year,” he said. “My body misses it. I’ve been fighting for 23 years and my body is used to fighting. I want to fight. If they want me to fight in two weeks, I would take it. I’m in. I’m just waiting.”
Hungry for new challenges, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is open to other types of competition.
“Metamoris is really nice, I think that’s the future (of grappling). I will fight MMA next, but if Metamoris wants me in, I’m in,” Fernandes said. “Gi, no gi, let’s go to war. I’m a professional athlete and I’m always training. If I have an opportunity to compete at Metamoris, I’d definitely do it.”
Riding a three-fight winning streak inside the Octagon, Caio Magalhaes is set to return to action in November.
The Nova Uniao middleweight takes on Trevor Smith at the UFC Fight Night 56 card in Uberlandia, Brazil, on Nov. 8, the promotion announced Friday.
Magalhaes (8-1) enters the bout looking for his fought win in a row after stopping Karlos Vemola and Luke Zachrich, and also scoring a close decision victory over Nick Ring.
Smith (12-5), who has bounced back and forth between wins and losses since his UFC debut in 2013, last defeated Tor Troeng at the UFC Fight Night card in Dublin.
UFC Fight Night 56 takes place at the Tancredo Neves gymnasium in Uberlandia. Here’s the current fight card for Uberlandia.
Riding a three-fight winning streak inside the Octagon, Caio Magalhaes is set to return to action in November.
The Nova Uniao middleweight takes on Trevor Smith at the UFC Fight Night 56 card in Uberlandia, Brazil, on Nov. 8, the promotion announced Friday.
Magalhaes (8-1) enters the bout looking for his fought win in a row after stopping Karlos Vemola and Luke Zachrich, and also scoring a close decision victory over Nick Ring.
Smith (12-5), who has bounced back and forth between wins and losses since his UFC debut in 2013, last defeated Tor Troeng at the UFC Fight Night card in Dublin.
UFC Fight Night 56 takes place at the Tancredo Neves gymnasium in Uberlandia. Here’s the current fight card for Uberlandia.
Legacy Fighting Championship is now promoting kickboxing cards, and a UFC veteran is scheduled to compete inside the ring.
Pat Barry, who returned to the kickboxing earlier this year for the first time since 2007, has agreed to take on Demoreo Dennis on Jan. 16. The card takes place at Bayou Music Center in Houston, and airs live on AXS TV.
“We came to a verbal agreement with Pat Barry to fight for us on the Jan. 16th Legacy Kickboxing event,” Legacy FC promoter Mick Maynard told MMAFighting.com. “Pat is still on the Glory roster, but they were kind enough to let us have him on this card.”
Barry, who ended his MMA career with an 8-7 record, currently holds a 13-6-1 professional kickboxing record. Demoreo Dennis’ kickboxing record stands at 9-3, while 4-3 in MMA.
The first Legacy Kickboxing card also features Cosmo Alexandre (42-15) vs. Regian Eersel (26-2), Michael Corley (18-11) vs. Marco Pique (60-38) and Valentina Schevchenko (51-1) vs. Lindsay Haycraft (2512).
“We will be offering finish bonuses in Legacy Kickboxing, just like we do for Legacy Fighting Championship,” Maynard added.
Legacy Fighting Championship is now promoting kickboxing cards, and a UFC veteran is scheduled to compete inside the ring.
Pat Barry, who returned to the kickboxing earlier this year for the first time since 2007, has agreed to take on Demoreo Dennis on Jan. 16. The card takes place at Bayou Music Center in Houston, and airs live on AXS TV.
“We came to a verbal agreement with Pat Barry to fight for us on the Jan. 16th Legacy Kickboxing event,” Legacy FC promoter Mick Maynard told MMAFighting.com. “Pat is still on the Glory roster, but they were kind enough to let us have him on this card.”
Barry, who ended his MMA career with an 8-7 record, currently holds a 13-6-1 professional kickboxing record. Demoreo Dennis’ kickboxing record stands at 9-3, while 4-3 in MMA.
The first Legacy Kickboxing card also features Cosmo Alexandre (42-15) vs. Regian Eersel (26-2), Michael Corley (18-11) vs. Marco Pique (60-38) and Valentina Schevchenko (51-1) vs. Lindsay Haycraft (2512).
“We will be offering finish bonuses in Legacy Kickboxing, just like we do for Legacy Fighting Championship,” Maynard added.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos will return to the Octagon in December.
The UFC officially announced that “Cigano” will take on rising heavyweight Stipe Miocic in the UFC on FOX 13 main event in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 13. MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani first reported the bout on Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight.
dos Santos (16-3) will make his return to the cage after a one-sided loss to reigning champion Cain Velasquez in October. He was scheduled to face off against Miocic in May in Brazil, but was forced out of the bout with a broken hand.
Miocic (12-1) attempts to get the biggest win of his MMA career following straight victories over Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabio Maldonado. The only loss of his MMA career came in a second-round TKO to Stefan Struve in 2012.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos will return to the Octagon in December.
The UFC officially announced that “Cigano” will take on rising heavyweight Stipe Miocic in the UFC on FOX 13 main event in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 13. MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani first reported the bout on Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight.
dos Santos (16-3) will make his return to the cage after a one-sided loss to reigning champion Cain Velasquez in October. He was scheduled to face off against Miocic in May in Brazil, but was forced out of the bout with a broken hand.
Miocic (12-1) attempts to get the biggest win of his MMA career following straight victories over Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabio Maldonado. The only loss of his MMA career came in a second-round TKO to Stefan Struve in 2012.
More than a year after his last fight inside the Octagon, and still involved a controversy with the Nevada Athletic Commission, the former PRIDE champion has announced his retirement on YouTube. And he blames the UFC for his decision.
“I am stepping down from the ring. After today, Wanderlei Silva will not fight again,” he said. “My career is over. Because I don’t have a stage to perform, where the athletes get the proper respect. For these reasons, I have had enough.
“They tried to turn my fans against me. My fans, who have followed me for 20 years, before this promotion even existed I was already fighting in Brazil. I have fought bare-knuckle and I helped building this sport. Everything you see today, I helped build with my sweat and blood.”
Silva, who hasn’t fought since an epic second-round knockout victory over Brian Stann, ends his MMA career with a professional record of 35-12-1 with one no-contest.
More than a year after his last fight inside the Octagon, and still involved a controversy with the Nevada Athletic Commission, the former PRIDE champion has announced his retirement on YouTube. And he blames the UFC for his decision.
“I am stepping down from the ring. After today, Wanderlei Silva will not fight again,” he said. “My career is over. Because I don’t have a stage to perform, where the athletes get the proper respect. For these reasons, I have had enough.
“They tried to turn my fans against me. My fans, who have followed me for 20 years, before this promotion even existed I was already fighting in Brazil. I have fought bare-knuckle and I helped building this sport. Everything you see today, I helped build with my sweat and blood.”
Silva, who hasn’t fought since an epic second-round knockout victory over Brian Stann, ends his MMA career with a professional record of 35-12-1 with one no-contest.
