Daniel Cormier explains why UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira should hold off on retirement: “There ain’t no Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier in that weight class”

By Harry Kettle - June 10, 2022

Daniel Cormier has explained why he thinks Glover Teixeira should hold off on a possible retirement from mixed martial arts.

Glover Teixeira, Jiri Prochazka

As we head into UFC 275 tomorrow night, Glover Teixeira’s legacy as a legend of the UFC’s light heavyweight division is already secure. The Brazilian became the oldest first-time UFC champion last year with his win over Jan Blachowicz and now, he faces a tough test as he prepares to defend the strap against Jiri Prochazka in Singapore.

Teixeira has admitted that he doesn’t know when his final fight will be, although he has no immediate plans to walk away from the sport.

Daniel Cormier, who has been retired for a few years now, noted in a recent interview that he thinks Teixeira should keep going for as long as he can.

“I’ll say this, and this is no disrespect for anyone in the division,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “I look at the light heavyweight division, and if I’m him, I’m riding it because the reality is that you never know what can happen.

“I told this to Jiri earlier: From 2009 to 2020, Jon (Jones) or I had the belt. It was like seven, six years Jon and four years me. Nobody else got to touch the belt. But now, they’re kind of passing it around. There ain’t no Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier in that weight class with Glover Teixeira right now.

“Those guys are talented guys, and they can all beat you, but in terms of stylistic matchup, they all seem to be pretty good for him because he can take them down, and they can’t really deal with the top pressure. So if I’m Glover, I’m riding it out. I’m riding this thing out until the wheels fall off. And if somebody beats me, then I’m walking away. But looking at the matchups, no real wrestlers.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Do you agree with Daniel Cormier’s assessment of Glover Teixeira and the 205-pound division?


Topics:

Daniel Cormier Glover Teixeira Jiri Prochazka UFC