UFC Vegas 13: Glover Teixeira predicts he'll finish Thiago Santos in "third or fourth round"

In an interview with Laura Sanko (*courtesy: ESPN MMA), top-ranked UFC light heavyweight fighter Glover Teixeira asserted that he intends to finish Thiago Santos in the later rounds of their UFC Vegas 13 matchup.

Additionally, Teixeira shed light upon what has helped him maintain career longevity in the sport of MMA, having competed as a professional mixed martial rts fighter for so very long.

Teixeira, who’s 41 years of age and made his professional MMA debut back in 2002, revealed that learning and adapting to the ever-evolving sport of MMA is what has helped him compete for so long.

The veteran 205-pound contender insinuated that being a student of the game is important, adding that he’s always open to listening and learning.

WHO YA GOT? 🇧🇷 @TMarretaMMA vs 🇧🇷 @GloverTeixeira[ #UFCVegas13 - LIVE on @ESPN & #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/WfenLwGEC1

— UFC (@ufc) November 6, 2020

A top contender will emerge 🏆Your #UFCVegas13 main event is ready for Saturday night.[ LIVE on ESPN2 & #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/OJAFbmCBe9

— UFC (@ufc) November 6, 2020

Glover Teixeira intends to use pressure to defeat Thiago Santos

Glover Teixeira, coming off a spectacular fifth-round TKO win over Anthony Smith, who he beat in May 2020, noted that his preparations for the Thiago Santos fight have been largely similar to that of the Smith matchup. Furthermore, Teixeira emphasized that he aims to keep the pressure on Santos.

Glover Teixeira continued that Thiago Santos has got to be prepared for everything in both the striking and grappling departments that the former is going to use against him. Teixeira reiterated that he intends to not only beat Santos but stop him before their fight reaches the final bell.

“You know, just keep the pressure; keep the fight going. I’m very confident that I’m gonna finish him later; in the third or fourth round.”

Glover Teixeira is on the cusp of another shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship. The Brazilian grappling stalwart, who also possesses excellent KO power and a well-rounded overall MMA skill-set, has competed in a UFC light heavyweight title fight in the past.

Teixeira challenged Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title a few years back, but came up short in his bid to win the title as he lost to Jones via unanimous decision. Nevertheless, a title could yet arrive. Victory over Thiago Santos in tonight’s clash in the headlining bout of UFC Vegas 13 could earn Teixeira another shot at the UFC light heavyweight belt.

The title is currently held by Jan Blachowicz, who’s reportedly set to defend it in a champion-vs-champion super-fight against UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya next year.

Should Glover Teixeira manage to beat Thiago Santos, Teixeira could potentially receive the opportunity to face the winner of Blachowicz vs. Adesanya for the UFC light heavyweight championship.

Please credit Sportskeeda for transcribing if using quotes from this piece.