Glover Teixeira Happy to Face Rampage Jackson Next If He’s In Shape and Motivated

When UFC 153 was originally scheduled, Glover Teixeira was in the co-main event against former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

A training injury forced Jackson out of the fight, and Teixeira dropped down one slot on the card and eventually faced Fabio Maldonado instead. Teixeira won the fight by doctor’s stoppage after the 2nd round.

Now with two victories in the UFC, Teixeira is gunning for a top opponent and he’s more than happy to face Rampage next, but only if the former champion is actually ready and wants to fight.

“I don’t care. Like I said, I want to fight who wants to fight, I want to fight Rampage if he comes in, in top shape. I don’t want to fight him if he’s not motivated to fight,” Teixeira told Fuel TV following his win in Rio.

In his fight on Saturday, Teixeira faced a very tough Fabio Maldonado, who despite his non-top ten ranking came out and showed great will and determination, even after being battered on the ground for the better part of five minutes in the first round.

Those are the kinds of fights Teixeira wants in the UFC, and if Jackson is a little too comfortable in life right now, the Brazilian upstart has no desire to face him.

“I want to fight guys like this guy (Fabio Maldonado) that wants to make a career in the UFC. Quinton’s got too much money already,” said Teixeira.

Somehow in the build up to their scheduled fight at UFC 153, Teixeira started hearing more and more from Jackson about how he was being disrespectful towards the former champion. Teixeira says he never spoke badly about Rampage, but he’s not going to back down from a challenge no matter who is standing in front of him.

“He’s talking all the time like I disrespect him, I’ve never disrespected Quinton Jackson, that guy was my idol, he was incredible, and then he says I disrespect him? I don’t disrespect him at all, but I’m not afraid of no man either,” said Teixeira.

For his part, Jackson’s injury was bad enough to keep him out of UFC 153, but since that time he has lobbied for a late December bout in the Octagon. When he’s ready to return will Glover Teixeira’s name be the one on the bout agreement?

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