What’s next for Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith after UFC Jacksonville?

In the main event of UFC Jacksonville, Glover Teixeira was taking on Anthony Smith in a critical fight for the title picture of the light heavyweight division. The winner could very well be one win away from a title shot, so the stakes were high.

In the end, the Brazilain in Teixeira pulled off the betting upset as he TKO’d Smith in the fifth round to extend his winning streak to four.

Now, following UFC Jacksonville, here is what I think should be next for Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith.

Glover Teixeira

All of a sudden, 40-year-old Glover Teixeira is back in the title conversation at light heavyweight. The Brazilian has now won four in a row and beat Smith who was ranked in the top-five.

Over the past couple of fights, Teixeira has turned back the clock and has looked impressive on the ground and on the feet. But, against Smith, this may have been his best performance in years as he dominated “Lionheart” as he rocked him several times and landed several vicious ground and pound shots.

Following the impressive win, Teixeira should fight Thiago Santos in late summer. Santos will be able to return to the Octagon soon following his double-knee surgery. “Marreta” has talked about wanting to get the rematch with Jon Jones or a title shot in his return fight.

The two could headline an upcoming Fight Night card where the winner earns a rematch against Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title.

Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith came in after nearly a year-long injury layoff. Yet, in the first round, it didn’t look like that was impacting him at all as he was landing several nice shots against the Brazilian. But, as the fight wore on, the tides switched as Teixeira rocked Smith and even dropped him and finished him off in the fifth, after many thought it could’ve been stopped in the fourth.

Following the loss, Smith is still a top-10 light heavyweight contender but should look to take a couple of months off to heal his injuries. When he returns, a logical opponent would be against Corey Anderson who’s coming off a knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz.

Both Anderson and Smith talked about wanting to face Jones during their fight week but suffered the setback. Against each other, the winner could be one or two wins away from a title shot while the loser would become a gatekeeper at 205 pounds.

Who do you think should be next for Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith after UFC Jacksonville?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 5/14/2020.