Glover Teixeira: Jon Jones “doesn’t care about the UFC”

In 2014, streaking light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira rode a 20-fight win streak into a main event scrap with UFC pound for pound kingpin Jon Jones at UFC 172. While Teixeira had been on a tear since being signed to the UFC, going a perfect 5-0, when he fought Jones for the light heavyweight championship, Jones picked up an impressive unanimous decision win as he defended his belt for the seventh time.

Unfortunately, since the win, Jones has been in and out of the Octagon as he has dealt with his fair share of legal issues outside of the cage, most notably a hit and run incident in April of 2015 which saw him stripped of his title and subsequently suspended. Despite returning to the Octagon in 2016, where he defeated Ovince Saint Preux to win the interim light heavyweight championship after Daniel Cormier was forced of the fight just weeks before, Jones is now sidelined through summer of 2017 after being pulled from UFC 200 just 48 hours before the event as the result of a random out of competition drug test, which was then determined to be the result of a tainted supplement.

With all that being said, Glover Teixeira believes that Jones isn’t all that focused on his return at the present time. He spoke to BloodyElbow:

“About the fight, there’s still much to consider,” Teixeira said. “I don’t even know what Jones is up to right now. To be honest, I don’t even think about him that much. Jones is enjoying his money, his moment. I think he doesn’t care about the UFC, to tell you the truth.”

“I think he’ll be back, because he’s a young guy,” Teixeira said. “Like I said before, who knows? Maybe we can have a rematch. Especially if I win my next fight. We’re at the top and anything can happen.”

on 1/27/2017.