Dana White confirms Glover Teixeira will get the next UFC light heavyweight title shot
UFC president Dana White confirmed that former champion Glover Teixeira will get the next UFC light heavyweight title shot.
Teixeira was originally set to fight rival Jiri Prochazka this Saturday at UFC 282 in a rematch of their “Fight of the Year” candidate at UFC 275 back in June. That was an epic fight between two warriors that went down to the wire, with Prochazka submitting Teixeira with just 28 seconds left in what was a back-and-forth fight. The fight was so good that only an immediate rematch made sense, which is why the promotion booked the second fight between the two for UFC 282.
Unfortunately, the fight was canceled when Prochazka suffered a serious shoulder injury in training, an ailment that will keep him out of the Octagon for the next year. With the UFC in need of a new headliner, the promotion offered Teixeira the vacant title fight against top contender Magomed Ankalaev. But the Brazilian wanted more time to train for his new opponent, the UFC said no, and the promotion called upon former champ Jan Blachowicz to fight for the title instead this weekend at UFC 282.
While Teixeira won’t be fighting for the belt this weekend, he likely won’t have to wait long to do so. Speaking to UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett on a recent edition of his podcast, White confirmed that the UFC plans on giving Teixeira the next title shot against the winner of Ankalaev vs. Blachowicz.
“100 percent,” White said when asked if Teixeira was next in line for the belt. “The fight was offered to Glover (via MMAFighting.com). He didn’t want to take the fight. It will probably be two fights before Jiri comes back so it would be Glover.”
There are other top contenders at 205lbs such as Jamahal Hill who want the shot, but the UFC seems dead set on giving Teixeira the next title shot, and rightly so considering he was the former champion who only lost his belt in the dying seconds.
Do you think Glover Teixeira should get the next UFC light heavyweight title shot, or do you think the promotion should choose someone else to get the next title shot?
