Former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira should have been competing to recapture the belt he lost to Jiri Prochazka at UFC 282. With Prochazka injured, vacating the title, Teixeira has been excluded from the event, which will now be contested between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Anakalev. Teixeira told MMAFighting that he is “upset” to miss out on his rematch, but explained precisely why.
“I told [the UFC] I would fight Blachowicz on the 10th because I’ve fought him before and it would be easier to adapt, [Ankalaev] is a southpaw.
Teixeira “Upset” to Miss UFC 282: “F*** it, I Don’t Even Care Who Wins!”
I told them if I had to fight [Ankalaev], to make it in Brazil [on Jan. 21]. And Blachowicz is ranked ahead of him anyways, so I don’t get it. Jan and I are ranked ahead of him, why did they want to — man, whatever. We have to stand our ground. It’s not like that, ‘come here and fight whenever I want.’”
Why the UFC insisted on Ankalaev getting the title shot over either former champion baffled Teixeira, who refuses to let it affect him. “I won’t let that affect me inside.
I’m a happy and grateful man. You know that saying, you do 1,000 things for someone but becomes the worst man if you don’t do one thing? I won’t say that about the UFC, but they really messed up that day. I spent with a camp and now they took me away from the title fight. I agreed to fight both guys, the only thing I asked was more time to fight Ankalaev. I’m a high-level fighter and I don’t want to be the guy that goes in there, gets kicked in the arm and goes down just for the money.
I give my blood and life inside the octagon. You’ve all watched my fights before, I leave everything in there. I want to bring the belt back for Brazil and for myself, and I believe I can do it. I was beating Prochazka, this hero, the guy everybody said was knocking everybody out. I was breaking him until I made a mistake. I’ll get the belt back, but I have to do things right. I have to go there to win.”
Teixeira, when asked if he wants the winner of UFC 282, was dismissive. “I’m confident of f****** nothing now […] f*** it, I don’t even care who wins […]
If they pay me to go to [UFC 282], I’ll go. But if they don’t pay me, of course I’m not going. What am I going to do there?”
