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Will Daniel Cormier return to 205 pounds to defend his belt one more time before he enters his first heavyweight title defense against Brock Lesnar and retires in 2019? Glover Teixeira wants an answer.
The former title challenger enters the eight-sided cage on Sunday in Germany, taking on Corey Anderson at UFC Hamburg, expecting to be in the conversation for a shot at the light heavyweight belt with a win — especially after his quick first-round finish over Misha Cirkunov in December.
“Definitely. Definitely. I’ve only lost to the best of the division, I’m always close to the belt,” Teixeira told MMA Fighting. “My last loss was to Alexander Gustafsson, who is the No. 1 guy to fight for the title now, and maybe we’ll have a rematch with Gustafsson down the line. Who knows, maybe it’s for the belt.”
Teixeira is suggesting a title fight with Gustafsson, who just lost his opponent at UFC 227 with Volkan Oezdemir injured, because he’s unsure if Cormier will move back down after becoming a two-division champion earlier this month at UFC 226 where he stopped Stipe Miocic in Las Vegas.
The Brazilian is not too keen an a quick turnaround to get a rematch with Gustafsson on Aug. 4 at UFC 227 because of the lack of time to cut weight a second time in two weeks. Teixeira suggests the match-up to serve as the main event for UFC Sao Paulo on Sept. 22.
“We can do that in Brazil, in Sao Paulo. Make it for a belt, brother,” Teixeira said. “Cormier has to make a decision if he will defend the heavyweight belt or the light heavyweight belt and leave one for us. He’s asking for a lot. Okay, you won both, congratulations, you’re f***ing awesome, but you can only keep one. Share the bread, man.”
“Everybody wants to know [if Cormier will return to light heavyweight],” he continued. “We need to know that. Everybody is waiting for that, if he comes back or stays at heavyweight. You can’t eat the entire cake alone. That’s the truth.”
With a few bouts as a heavyweight prior to signing with the UFC, Teixeira is not really open to the idea of returning to that division, unless opportunity at the belt came knocking.
“I’ve thought about it before, but I have a good weight right now,” Teixeira said. “I’d fight at heavyweight if it was against Cormier, of course. I want to fight him anyway. But right now, I have a good weight, so I’ll stay at light heavyweight.”
The former title challenger enters the eight-sided cage on Sunday in Germany, taking on Corey Anderson at UFC Hamburg, expecting to be in the conversation for a shot at the light heavyweight belt with a win — especially after his quick first-round finish over Misha Cirkunov in December.
“Definitely. Definitely. I’ve only lost to the best of the division, I’m always close to the belt,” Teixeira told MMA Fighting. “My last loss was to Alexander Gustafsson, who is the No. 1 guy to fight for the title now, and maybe we’ll have a rematch with Gustafsson down the line. Who knows, maybe it’s for the belt.”
Teixeira is suggesting a title fight with Gustafsson, who just lost his opponent at UFC 227 with Volkan Oezdemir injured, because he’s unsure if Cormier will move back down after becoming a two-division champion earlier this month at UFC 226 where he stopped Stipe Miocic in Las Vegas.
The Brazilian is not too keen an a quick turnaround to get a rematch with Gustafsson on Aug. 4 at UFC 227 because of the lack of time to cut weight a second time in two weeks. Teixeira suggests the match-up to serve as the main event for UFC Sao Paulo on Sept. 22.
“We can do that in Brazil, in Sao Paulo. Make it for a belt, brother,” Teixeira said. “Cormier has to make a decision if he will defend the heavyweight belt or the light heavyweight belt and leave one for us. He’s asking for a lot. Okay, you won both, congratulations, you’re f***ing awesome, but you can only keep one. Share the bread, man.”
“Everybody wants to know [if Cormier will return to light heavyweight],” he continued. “We need to know that. Everybody is waiting for that, if he comes back or stays at heavyweight. You can’t eat the entire cake alone. That’s the truth.”
With a few bouts as a heavyweight prior to signing with the UFC, Teixeira is not really open to the idea of returning to that division, unless opportunity at the belt came knocking.
“I’ve thought about it before, but I have a good weight right now,” Teixeira said. “I’d fight at heavyweight if it was against Cormier, of course. I want to fight him anyway. But right now, I have a good weight, so I’ll stay at light heavyweight.”