Chuck Liddell Says Glover Teixeira Is A Bad Match For Jon Jones

Glover Teixeira finally gets the chance to challenge for the UFC light-heavyweight title this Saturday, as he goes up against long-time king of 205-Jon ‘Bones’ Jones. The Jackson’s MMA product has ruled atop the stacked division since he ripped the belt from the grasp of Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua back in 2011.

Jones ushered in a new age of fighter, as well as the beginning of a dominant reign as champ. He will stand opposite a heavy-handed underdog in Teixeira, and all questions will hopefully be answered in Baltimore, Maryland. Former UFC light-heavyweight champion, and Teixeira’s trainer Chuck Liddell weighed in on GT’s upcoming bout, as he spoke with The MMA Hour:

“I think it’s a bad match up for (Jones), I think he’s gonna make him take some shots, he’s gonna come after him and hit him hard. He can catch him with a submission, or catch him with punches. (Glover) was always a hard worker, and when he came to us he was mainly a BJJ guy. He was always in such great shape.”

Liddell was a great champion during his reign, and his influence on the Brazilian grappler has clearly helped make him the fighter he is today. Now also known as a knockout artist, GT may well have the tools it takes to win against the champion Jones. ‘The Iceman’ continued:

“We’ve been talking about this fight for a while, that was his goal to get the title fight and win the championship belt. It’s a good match up (style wise) for Teixeira. He has the wrestling, and if Jones shoots in he needs to be careful not to get caught by a submission. If he does take Glover down, Glover is very good at getting up. I think the main thing for Glover is that he hits very hard.”

People have been talking about G-Tex for a long time now; since his early days, to not being able to fight in America, to being the most hyped lhw since Jon Jones. He certainly has the killer instinct, but Liddell believes that his protégé has much more. Time will tell, and Liddell moves on to the subject of Jones’ haters:

“Jon dictates the pace real well, but Glover needs to go after him and push the pace to dictate where the fight is fought. I think people like the way I fight, I went out and tried to finish guys. I never laid up because I was winning a fight, I just went up and tried to finish the fight. I think some of the stuff he says, the fans just don’t agree with. I think when he turned down the fight with Chael, that hurt him with the fans. I like Jon, he’s a good guy, I’d like to see him get after it a bit more.”

‘Bones’ is known for bringing the fight to his opponents, until they can handle no more. That night he took Shogun’s belt was a brutal, and unnecessarily prolonged beating. He had no such luck in breaking Alexander Gustafsson’s will though, as they battled the whole five rounds at UFC 165. Liddell talked about that fight next:

“(Jones) won that fight, but at best it was a draw. He still won that fight, but I think he lost it actually. I think that fight will make him stronger, because you have to dig and find a way to win.”

Will Teixeira follow in the footsteps of his mentor and bring power punching back in to fashion at 205 pounds? 

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