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LAS VEGAS—When Glover Teixeira attended this past weekend's UFC 282 event at T-Mobile Arena, he did so expecting to find himself in a future title fight. He did not expect it to be against Jamahal Hill.
Teixeira was at the event to scout out Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev, who were competing for the light heavyweight title that was vacated by former champ Jiri Prochazka when he was forced to the sidelines with a severe shoulder injury.
"I wanted to watch the fight and to watch what's the next guy that I was going to fight," Teixeira told MMA Underground. "In my mind, I really was thinking the whole time, 'You know, this fight, turn it around quick. The UFC needs a main event in Brazil. They might get one of those guys to fight in Brazil.' This is my thing. Nobody was saying anything, but I was thinking that."
Teixeira, a native Brazilian, relished the idea of competing at UFC 283, which takes place Jan. 21 in Rio de Janeiro. However, he'd need either Blachowicz or Ankalaev to come out of the contest unscathed if they were going to turn around and compete again six weeks later. As the fight unfolded, Teixeira realized it probably wasn't going to happen.
"Come to the third round, when Ankalaev had both legs hurt and Jan had a cut over his eye, and I'm like, 'OK, I guess Brazil is not going to happen,'" he said.
However, Teixeira was in for a surprise. After the Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev fight was declared a split draw, UFC president Dana White revealed in the evening's post-event press conference that the promotion had come up with a new idea for the still-vacant title: former champ Teixeira and fellow contender Hill would face off at UFC 283.
Hill said he didn't hesitate when the promotion called him with the idea, which came before Blachowicz and Ankalaev had even made it back to the dressing room from their fight.
"They called me before they even left the cage," Hill said. "By the time Magomed was walking up the aisle, I had already agreed."
Teixeira was equally enthused when he heard the news.
"I took it before they said the opponent," Teixeira said. "They said, 'You want to fight in Brazil for the belt?' I said, 'Let's go. Whoever.'"
As a former champ who was originally expected to compete in a rematch with Prochazka at UFC 282 prior to the Czech's injury, Teixeira, 43, was an easy call for the contest. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Hill, who's currently riding a three-fight win streak, was believed to be another win or two away from his first crack at a title, but circumstances accelerated the opportunity.
"Sweet Dreams" is aware that some observers may doubt his deservedness but said that's why he's willing to take on the challenge of traveling to Teixeira's home country on just six weeks' notice.
"I've got to be sharp," Hill said. "I've got to be at the top of my game like I've never been. It's going to take everything. It will take everything to come in and beat him. I don't care about his age or none of that. He's already shown what that means: absolutely nothing. He's game. He's a champion—a true champion—so I've got to go and do what I've got to do.
"You know, for how this all came about, it's fitting. You feel me? It's fitting. No. 7. I've seen a lot of the talk. You know, 'He doesn't deserve it,' and all this and that, so what better way, through all the circumstances, to go in and truly start a raid by going in to another king's castle, into his territory, into his home, and beating the s--- out of him and taking the championship home? I can do that. I can at least do that. Since I got it the way that I had to, and it's unconventional, I'll do that."
Barring any more unforeseen circumstances, the winner of the UFC 283 clash will serve as the UFC's undisputed light heavyweight champion. A future meeting with Prochazka could await the winner to further cement that status, but first things first.
Teixeira (33-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) vs. Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was a matchup no one expected to see prior to Saturday night, but the stakes of the surprise booking are clear.
"I just want to go out there and fight the best," Teixeira said. "I wish we had a winner in (Blachowicz vs. Ankaalev), but let's go. Vacant title still on the line, and that's it."
