Former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira has been training with Alex Pereira for some time now. Pereira’s short-lived time as UFC middleweight champion is now over, and he’s moved up to the 205-pound division since. If you thought “Poatan” was huge fighting at 185 pounds, Glover Teixiera has news for you: he’s even bigger now.
“I was like, ‘I love it that you’re going to light heavyweight,’ because I don’t want to see him cutting that much weight. You don’t know how much that guy cut [to get to 185]. He’s 230 pounds right now, and he’s lean, he’s probably like eight percent body fat. For him to drop to 185 is crazy.”
Glover Teixeira Reveals Secret Behind Alex Pereira’s Move To UFC Light Heavyweight Division
“Poatan” made UFC history by becoming the first man to defeat Israel Adesanya at middleweight. Pereira knocked Adesanya out in the final round of their first fight, claiming the UFC middleweight title in the process.
However, Adesanya won the immediate rematch the same way. Since then, Pereira has moved up to the UFC light heavyweight division, and will make his 205-pound debut at UFC 291 on July 29.
He’ll face an old opponent of Adesanya’s, Jan Blachowicz. Blachowicz is the only other man on the UFC roster to boast a victory over Israel Adesanya, earned when Adesanya attempted to move up a weight class and claim a second title.
Curiously, Blachowicz is also the man that Pereira’s longtime trainer Glover Teixeira dethroned to earn his title. Glover Teixeira clearly knows how to approach a fight with Jan Blachowicz, and believes that the rest of the 205-pound elite are ideal matchups for the former middleweight champ.
“For sure, the style with Jamahal Hill and Alex, it’s perfect for Alex. Listen, Jamahal Hill is a great fighter, and Jan is a great fighter. We’re not looking past Jan over here like that.
Styles make fights. My style was more grappling, and Jan is a tremendous striker. He beat Israel Adesanya and he was doing really good in the standup before he started going [for takedowns]. Jan is dangerous, he hits hard.
But if everything goes to plan and Alex can get past Jan, for sure I think Jamahal Hill will be an amazing fight for Alex, and it would be nice to see revenge. Nothing against Jamahal Hill, he’s a great guy as well, but yeah.”
Do you think we’ll see “Poatan” claim UFC gold a second time? Let us know in the comments.
