EXCLUSIVE | Karl Roberson talks stepping in on short notice to fight Glover Teixeira

After Ion Cutelaba had to pull out of their scheduled UFC on ESPN+1 bout in Brooklyn due to injury, Glover Teixeira needed a new opponent. Now, just days from fight night, he has one in UFC middleweight Karl Roberson.

Roberson is moving up in weight to challenge Teixeira which was first reported by FloCombat. For Roberson, when he got the call for the fight, it was an easy decision to make.

“It is a great opportunity. I love to fight,” Roberson said to BJPENN.com shortly after the news of the fight got announced.

Cutelaba ⬅️

Roberson ➡️ @GloverTeixeira faces @KarlBabyK at #UFCBrooklyn on @ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/yzQxpfEUfr

— UFC (@ufc) January 12, 2019

Karl Roberson was last seen in the Octagon when he took on Jack Marshman at November’s UFC 230 event, a fight which he won the fight by unanimous decision. Since then, Roberson has been staying in the gym preparing for whatever opportunity might comes his way.

Now, Karl will face his toughest fight to date former title challenger Glover Teixeira. Roberson claims he isn’t worried at all about the matchup, as this is what he has worked for – to fight the very best.

“No. Not at all,” he said. “I’m in this sport to test my self and show I’m the best at it.”

The 28-year-old Roberson will be making his light heavyweight debut when he steps in to face Teixeira. Although Roberson is a middleweight moving up to 205-pounds, many were still concerned about his pending last-minute weight cut. However, Roberson knows he will make the weight and be in the Octagon on Saturday.

“Not hard at all,” he said of his upcoming weight cut. “I have already been training so I’m already in range.”

In the end, this is a fight and anything can happen. Obviously, Teixeira is the favorite but Roberson doesn’t care. He is confident in his skills and believes he will get his hand raised and show the world he is a legitimate threat at both middleweight and light heavyweight.

“I’m going in there to fight,” Roberson said. “I’m going in there to take him out.”

The focus now turns to the fight but with a win, Karl Roberson would most likely become ranked in the light heavyweight division. If that does come to fruition, Roberson would have to decide what weight class to fight in. But, for him, that is no concern at all.

“I’m going to stay at middleweight,” he concluded. “It is my natural weight class and I got some people there I have to beat up.”

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 1/12/2019