UFC Predictions: 5 Fights for Glover Teixeira to Take Next

Well, the wait was worth it if you’ve been following Glover Teixeira and his path to the UFC. Many have said the Brazilian was among the best 205-pounders outside of the promotion, and after suffering a one-sided pounding from him at UFC 146 it’s a safe bet that at least Kyle Kingsbury would agree.

Needless to say, Teixeira deserves a step up in competition next time out. Some names that might work:

Thiago Silva

Win or lose, Thiago Silva is coming to fight you. It’s not fun and games to him, it’s life and death. His lethal combination of excellent standup and utter fearlessness make him a handful for anyone, especially anyone not used to dealing with the aggression of a caged animal.

Teixeira would be able to use a win over Silva as a springboard into the top five pretty quickly, and a loss wouldn’t hurt him too much because Silva is still highly ranked and highly respected in the UFC.

Book it and watch the fireworks.

Stephan Bonnar

Bonnar was a star, then he was a gatekeeper and a recent run of three straight wins has sort of put him somewhere in between at this point in his career. He’s durable, crazy and skilled in all areas of the fight game. Seems like the perfect option for a hot new signing to test his mettle against.

The big thing about a matchup with Bonnar is the diversity it offers. On the feet, Bonnar is a talented boxer and kickboxer with experience in a host of striking arts. On the ground, he’s a Carlson Gracie black belt who is criminally underrated because he simply loves to slug it out.

A win for Teixeira over the TUF 1 finalist would be a big step for him.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

There’s been a real separation of talent at 205 in the past year, with the elite of the division making space between themselves and the less-talented guys. Somehow left behind, however, has been Rogerio Nogueira.

Not quite upper echelon, but a long ways from the bottom of the heap, Little Nog would be a great test for Teixeira. He’s still good, has only lost to smothering wrestlers in the UFC and is in no way a gatekeeper despite being a ways off from getting a shot at gold.

If Teixeira is as good as people say, this fight would be a barnburner. If he’s not there yet, a loss to a living legend definitely doesn’t set him back too far.

Fabio Maldonado

A former boxer turned MMA slugger, Maldonado has proven to be remarkably durable as well as quite entertaining during his current UFC run. His boxing is obviously top notch, and he goes to the body as well as anyone in the sport, but his time spent with the Nogueira brothers has surely given him the ground skills required to compete as well.

If the UFC likes the idea of matching Teixeira against someone in the vein of Rogerio Nogueira, but isn’t sold on him being ready for the man himself, a matchup with Maldonado might answer some questions and provide a little spark.

There’s a lot to like about this one.

Cyrille Diabate

Long and rangy, “The Snake” would provide a different set of problems for Teixeira than others on this list. He’s got a laundry list of kickboxing accomplishments to his name and has shown steady improvement in his time in the Octagon.

For Teixeira, the fight would be an opportunity to showcase some diversity in his game and let the world know that he can handle a specialist. He’d also have to face down the serious threat of firepower from Diabate, which is often one of the earlier hurdles fighters face in their UFC career.