Glover Teixeira not happy with UFC 208 display, needs to 'step up my game' to hang with top-5

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Glover Teixeira might be back on the winning track, but he’s not exactly thrilled with the way he got there.

After outpointing Jarred Cannonier (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) with a wrestling-heavy display at Saturday’s UFC 208 to bounce back from a tough knockout loss to Anthony Johnson, a candid Teixeira (26-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) addressed some of the issues that ultimately prevented him from getting a finish and the resulting frustration.

“I apologize for that,” Teixeira said during the post-fight press conference. “It was not the way that I like to fight, not the way that I like to finish my fights. But I had to deal with a little situation back in camp and I had to play it smart for this fight, man, coming out of a loss to Anthony Johnson, and adjust my game a little bit.

“But yes, I understand that I have to step up my game and work on that speed and boxing if I want to fight the top-five contenders like (champion Daniel) Cormier, Johnson and (ex-champ Jon) Jones. I have to step up my game, for sure.”

The light heavyweight bout was part of the main card of Saturday’s UFC 208 event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn N.Y. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

The “situation back in camp,” Teixeira explained, was a reappearing issue with his labrum. But, although he did feel its negative effects in his boxing for the two weeks prior to UFC 208, Teixeira maintains it wasn’t a bad enough issue to warrant withdrawing from the scrap.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Teixeira said. “I think this week, it’s much, much better, so I think it will heal up on its own if I take a couple of weeks off and I’ll be OK. If not, I’ve got to fix that, but hopefully it will be OK.”

Other than the injury, Teixeira also had to deal with the added pressure of returning to the octagon after the devastating 13-second knockout setback that snapped a three-fight streak – which, on top of the high-risk scenario that comes with a lower-ranked opponent contributed for the need to put on a smart, albeit less exciting, display.

“I wasn’t that happy with my performance,” Teixeira said. “I’m a guy who always looks for the finish and, after the fight was over, I saw some opportunities in which I could have finished. And that’s what I’m going to work on. I’m going to work more on my jiu-jitsu submissions. I’m very confident in my jiu-jitsu, but I work a lot with the ground-and-pound and wrestling, so I have to work my jiu-jitsu, and also work my boxing.

“I’m a guy who looks to put the pressure and come out with the knockout or the submission. I think a fighter like Jarred is a great fighter, very strong and difficult to finish, but (against) a fighter like him I should have come out with the submission or the knockout.”

Teixeira’s finish-driven approach is certainly reflected on his record: Of the nine UFC wins he’s collected since his octagon debut in 2012, seven have been finishes. During an impressive 20-fight streak snapped by Jon Jones  in 2014, only two scraps – including a UFC on FOX 6 effort against Quinton Jackson – went the distance.

Now, confident on his abilities in all areas, Teixeira is determined to make the slight adjustments needed to get back to his finishing ways.

“My next fight, you guys are going to see me try to go more for the finish,” Teixeira said. “I’m going to go train, and train a lot of jiu-jitsu, a lot of finishes, and train my boxing, because I need to be knocking people out and finishing them on the ground, as well. That’s not my type of game, to wrestle people around.”

Currently ranked No. 6 the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light-heavyweight rankings, Teixeira had one shot at the 205-pound title back in 2014, dropping a clear unanimous decision to then-champ Jones. Asked whether he thinks he’s close to a second stab at the belt, Teixeira is both grounded and somewhat optimistic.

“Close, yes,” Teixeira said. “But I think I’ll have to fight once or twice more. But we’re up there, (ranked) No. 3 (in the UFC rankings), and I held my spot, and you never know when the opportunity will come knocking. This is a contact sport and anything can happen. All I have to do is stay ready and wait for the opportunity, not let it pass me by.”

For more from Teixeira, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage UFC 208, check out the UFC Events section of the site.