Glover Teixeira Is Ready To Go Five Rounds With Alexander Gustafsson
Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Glover Teixeira is getting ready for his upcoming fight against fellow UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson at UFC Fight Night 109. Although the two fighters are known for their knockout power, Teixeira expects this fight to go the distance and has been working hard on his cardio for the upcoming bout.
The reasoning behind Teixeira’s extra push for his condition is due to Gustafson’s history of pushing his opponents to their limits. His fights with Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier are a perfecting example of that. Teixeira put a ton of work into his upcoming fight as he spent three months preparing for it and is expecting to be in the octagon for 25 minutes.
“I think it could go all five rounds,” he told MMA Junkie. “Of course, I always look to finish as quickly as possible, by submission or knockout. But Gustafsson is tough, and he’s difficult put away. So I’m thinking it will probably last all rounds.”
Gustafsson is headlining his third UFC event and hoping to build on his winning streak after coming off a win over Jan Błachowicz after going 1-3 that includes losses to Jones, Cormier, and Anthony Johnson.
Teixeira anticipates using all of his skills in this upcoming fight and is ready for a grueling fight against Gustafsson.
“Gustafsson is extremely tough, and has very good physical conditioning,” Teixeira said. “He’s been a top fighter for several years. I’ve faced other opponents like him, so I know he’s difficult to fight. He walks and sometimes even runs around the octagon. So I have to be patient and make use of my agility. I’ll beat him. I don’t know how, but I’ll beat him. Either I’ll connect with a fist, or I’ll take him down and put my jiu-jitsu to work.”
On paper, the two fighters are similar. The only difference between them is that Gustafsson has had two shots at the light heavyweight title while Teixeira has only had one. Although Teixeira would like to have another fight for the title, his focus is on this upcoming fight, and then he will think about the future.
“My plan right now is to beat Gustafsson,” Teixeira said. “Then I’ll think about the future. Sometimes the UFC can be controversial. I try not to get involved in that. I try to just worry about what’s within my reach. I’ll worry about Gustafsson now, then we’ll decide what’s next.”
UFC Fight Night 109 takes place on Sunday, May 28, 2017, at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. The prelims will air on UFC Fight Pass with two bouts at 10 a.m. ET while four bouts will air on FOX Sports 1 at 11 a.m. ET. The main card will air on FOX Sports 1 at 1 p.m. ET with six bouts.
