Glover Teixeira reveals unknown details about him getting left out of the UFC 282 light heavyweight title fight

Glover Teixeira had been set to challenge Jiri Prochazka for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 282. Following an injury suffered by Prochazka, the card was reshuffled with Teixiera noticeably absent. The No.1-ranked light heavyweight opened up on what led to his removal from the card.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Teixeira told host Ariel Helwani:

"They said, 'do you want to fight December 10th'? I said, 'yeah, fight Jan [Blahowicz] December 10th'. They said, 'what about [Magomed] Ankalaev'? I said, 'I'll fight him in Brazil because the style'. That was it in my conversation. 30 minutes later, not even, I saw the news on Instagram that Jan and Ankalaev are going to fight."

Teixeira added:

"It is what it is, man, it is what it is. If you can't do nothing about it, you just gotta rise above it, keep training, keep focused on the goal, and stay positive. That's my mentality... I said 'I'll fight Jan, because Jan is the number two contender'. I was number one then Jan and then Ankalaev. I said, 'okay, you want me to fight him then I'll fight him in Brazil'.

Although there has been speculation that Teixiera will receive the next title shot, particularly with Prochazka sidelined, a lot can change depending on the outcome of the UFC 282 title fight between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev. With Teixeira now 43 years old, it is fair to wonder if he may have bypassed his last opportunity to reclaim the light heavyweight title.

Watch Glover Teixeira's full comments on being removed from the title fight below (starting at the 1:50 mark):

---

Josh Thomson believes that Glover Teixeira did not want to risk a loss

Glover Teixeira's omission from the light heavyweight title fight was initially quite shocking. It became even more shocking when it was revealed that the former light heavyweight champion was offered a chance to reclaim his belt, yet turned it down. Former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson shared that he believes Teixeira did not want to risk a loss as his career winds down.

Speaking on his podcast, WEIGHING IN, Thomson stated:

"Glover, at the age he is, can't afford to take a loss and he knows that so he wants to probably let the dust settle, see how these two guys fight. He is probably hoping that Jan [Blachowicz] wins. That's a good fight for him, but, if Ankalaev wins, that's not a good fight for him. Styles make matchups."

While Ankalaev may not be a good matchup for Teixeira, stylistically, giving himself more time to prepare for the potential fight improves his chances. This is assuming that the No.3-ranked light heavyweight becomes the champion. There is, however, a risk involved that Teixeira is unable to challenge for the title before retiring.

Watch Josh Thomson's comments on Glover Teixeira below (starting at the 1:08:05 mark):