Glover Teixeira wants to run it back with Jiri Prochazka for the UFC light heavyweight championship.
The Brazilian was ahead on the scorecards with seconds left in the clock in the final round in Singapore when Prochazka sank in a rear-naked choke and forced him to tap at UFC 275 on June 11, becoming the first Czech fighter to claim a UFC belt.
“Physically well” and injury-free despite the 24-minute “Fight of the Year” candidate, Teixeira aims to start training again in less than three weeks with eyes on a potential rematch with Prochazka later this year, even if it means facing him in enemy territory in the Czech Republic.
“Why not?” Teixeira said on a recent episode of MMA Fighting podcast Trocacao Franca. I was planning to fight him in Brazil. [so] We can pursue the belt anywhere it’s located. I went to defend it in Singapore. It would have been possible to say, “No, Brazil was the first time.” But it did not work out that way. [But] we’ll go after this belt wherever, whatever it takes.”
Teixeira praised Prochazka’s heart after UFC 275 as the challenger was able to overcome difficult situations throughout four rounds and still become the first man to ever submit the experienced Brazilian in MMA.
“He’s a warrior, a guy that comes forward,” Teixeira said. I knew that he was a fighter, a champion, and had the heart of an samurai. He didn’t give up on the battle and managed to win. In terms of performance, I’m also upset with what happened. I had the perfect performance, was winning the fight and winning well, and I’m sad with the mistake I made. That’s why we have to do it again. Now is the time to get it back. He has to realize that’s the fight everybody wants to see right now. Those who missed the first one will watch it now.
“It is time to make some money. He will make pay-per view [money], because he is the champion. We did all the talking in the octagon. I don’t need to talk a bunch of crap to try to promote this fight, to try to earn the rematch. I really want this rematch [to happen], but I don’t want to have to talk [crap] for it. Many people get lost trying to do it.
“Dana White must take a look at these. Many fans are calling for a rematch. I had a good performance the entire fight, only lost one round, and was dominating the fifth round. [Prochazka] was not pleased with his performance. Repeat it. Let’s do it again, man. Let’s see who’s the best, because I know that’s still stuck in his throat, too, the way the victory was and people saying, ‘If it wasn’t for that [guillotine].’ It’s hard to hear that. ‘F***, he was losing that fight. How lucky he was.’ That wasn’t luck. He believed in the choke and went after it. I didn’t believe in it. I made a mistake.
“It is time for a rematch. It’s time to rematch. Promote it by saying we’ll come prepared to put on another show.”
Teixeira had been flirting with the idea that he might hang up his gloves at an UFC event later in the year. Now that he’s no longer the 205-pound champion, but still coming off of the performance of a lifetime, Teixeira sees no reason to slow down.
“I said that [retiring] was a possibility, but no, man,” Teixeira said. The goal is to win the belt back, but we must defend it once we do. The athlete has to be proud of their accomplishments. You can retire after defending it, like I said, but I have a different goal now. It was something I believed I would lose. It was my plan to win, defend it again and possibly [retiring after].. I never said it was definitive. It’s something I want to do again. As long as I’m doing it well, I’ll continue [fighting].”
