“Wherever it takes”- Glover Teixeira is willing to fight Jiri Prochazka even in the Czech Republic to reclaim his light heavyweight title
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Glover Teixeira vs Jiri Prochazka
Glover Teixeira wants to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight belt from Jiri Prochazka. Prochazka slid in a rear-naked choke and forced the Brazilian to tap at UFC 275 on June 11, becoming the first Czech fighter to win a UFC crown. Teixeira expects to resume training in less than three weeks, with a potential rematch with Prochazka later this year, even if it means meeting him in enemy territory in the Czech Republic.
“Why not?” Teixeira stated this on a recent episode of the MMA Fighting podcast Trocação Franca. “I was going to fight him in Brazil, we can go after the belt wherever it is. I went to defend it in Singapore. I could have said, ‘No, the first time was going to be in Brazil.’ Sadly, it didn’t work out we’ll go after this belt wherever, whatever it takes.”
“He’s a warrior”- Glover Teixeira lauded Prochazka’s spirit
Teixeira praised Prochazka’s character spirit after UFC 275, saying the challenger was able to overcome difficult conditions throughout four rounds and become the first man in MMA history to submit the seasoned Brazilian.
“He’s a warrior, a guy that comes forward,” Teixeira said on the podcast.“I knew he had the heart of a samurai, of a winner, who fought until the end and never gave up. He didn’t give up on the battle and managed to win. In terms of performance, I’m also upset with what happened. I had the perfect performance, was winning the fight and winning well, and I’m sad about the mistake I made. That’s why we have to do it again. It’s time to run it back. He has to realize that’s the fight everybody wants to see right now. Those who missed the first one will watch it now.
Prior to his first championship defence, Teixeira was considering laying up his gloves at a prospective UFC event in New York later this year. Teixeira, who is no longer the 205-pound champion but is coming off a career-best performance, sees no need to slow down.
“I said that was a possibility, but no man,” Teixeira continues. “The goal is to get the belt again, and we have to defend it after we win it. It’s a matter of honour for the athlete. You can retire after defending it, like I said, but I have a different goal now. I didn’t believe I was going to lose it. I planned on winning, defending it again, and maybe. I never said it was definitive. I’m hungry to come back and train again. As long as I’m doing it well, I’ll continue .”
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Angelin Dsouza
(235 Articles Published)