RIO DE JANEIRO — Glover Teixeira’s grappling will always be his biggest threat against fighters like Jamahal Hill, but his teammate Alex Pereira sees more paths to victory.
Pereira, who took the UFC middleweight championship away from longtime rival Israel Adesanya, said in an interview with MMA Fighting that his friend can stop Hill on the feet, too.
” Anything can happen,” Pereira said, as he takes on Teixeira at the UFC 283 title fight in Rio de Janeiro. Glover will submit [Hill]., many people speak about grappling. Although there is a greater chance of that happening, people often forget about the fact that Glover has many knockouts. He is also known for knocking out this man. It’s possible for anything to happen. It’s going to be a great fight.”
Teixeira was originally scheduled to rematch Jiri Prochazka for the 205-pound championship, but he ended up watching Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev collide for the vacant throne instead. When that match ended in a draw, the UFC paired up Teixeira and Hill for the title in Brazil.
Pereira said the rollercoaster of emotions was wild, but the 43-year-old veteran has enough experience to deal with it and prepare for a big fight. According to “Poatan”, Teixeira did not stop training even after Blachowicz’s vs. Ankalaev fight was scheduled because “he knew that something good was on the horizon .”
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“He’s happy and motivated, and I think that’s the most important,” Pereira said. “It’s a good fight for him. Although it is always dangerous for a young man, I believe this fight is better. Although Glover may be more experienced than me, I believe this fight is great for me. And seeing him that excited, that makes more happier and more confident.”
Watch Glover Teixeira’s pre-fight media scrum.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/21/23562127/alex-pereira-glover-teixeira-knocking-out-jamahal-hill-ufc-283?rand=96749
