UFC 283 - Glover Teixeira on facing Jamahal Hill: 'He’s a powerful striker'
Yahoo Sports MMA insider Kevin Iole spoke with Glover Teixeira before his upcoming bout against Jamahal Hill at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro.
Video Transcript
[CHEERING]
KEVIN IOLE: Hey, folks. I am Kevin Iole. Welcome to Yahoo! Sports. And I have to say this. given gray hair and the bald head, I have an affinity for the older fighters, who are maybe a little gray a little bald.
And my next guest, Glover Teixeira, is one of the best in the world. But he's also bidding to become the UFC light heavyweight champion at an astounding 43 years old.
Glover, January 21, UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro. You will be fighting Jamahal Hill. How are you still doing it at this high of a level at 43 years old? Amazing, man.
GLOVER TEIXEIRA: I think-- I just have fun, man. I'm having fun. I'm enjoying life.
I don't know people. Ask me the same-- this question, but I don't know how to answer. I say the love of the sport and it's appreciate life, have help to go do what we love to do, to go work with happiness, with gratitude all the time, and work. I don't want to be lazy and sit home and that.
I just want to do the best that I can and pass that on, motivating people, motivating kids, motivating older fighters. I'm motivating all kind of people right now, so that's the goal.
KEVIN IOLE: What is your take on Jamahal? He's a guy that lost a fight to Paul Craig, and I was really impressed because he seemed to learn from that loss and was better each successive fight-- two first round knockouts and a row of vicious knockout of Johnny Walker.
What is your take on him? And what is he good at? And where do you have to be concerned about him, what positions?
GLOVER TEIXEIRA: Oh, he's very good. He's very young, talent fighter. He's a powerful striker. And he's having a lot of potential to be a champion.
And my job is to stop him this time. He's not going to [? be ?] this time. I'm going to go over there and beat him. But the strike is the strongest game.
KEVIN IOLE: Do you feel like you can use his aggressiveness against him, given your experience in the wisdom you've gained fighting-- I mean there's nobody out there that-- in the light heavyweight division that's fought the talent you fought. So do you think that-- you can kind of use his aggressiveness against him?
GLOVER TEIXEIRA: The mix-up-- I think my style-- people don't know what I'm going to do. They think I'm going to go for-- even [INAUDIBLE] last time, worried about, too much, takedown. I almost knocked him out in the end. And I go for finish. I'm going. I'm going to finish fighting.
And the mix-up is the one the-- I know Jamahal-- he was going to be worried about getting taken down. And I am going for that takedown. There's no doubt about that.
And they get to worry and care-- careful about [INAUDIBLE] from their hands. I have a heavy hands, too.
And I think the mix-up is the one-- yeah, I say all the time-- my style is the grinding. Keep it going. Keep grinding the guys. Keep bringing him to deep water, and see what he has.
KEVIN IOLE: UFC 283, January 21 in Rio de Janeiro. This man-- one of the nicest guys and the best fighters in the UFC-- will be vying for the vacant light Heavyweight Championship against Jamahal Hill. Glover, we appreciate you, brother, and best of luck to you, as always, and speak to you soon.
GLOVER TEIXEIRA: Thank you.