UFC 153 Fight Card: Is Glover Teixeira More Than Just Hype?

With a record of 18-2, 16 straight wins, 11 knockouts and five submissions, it would seem that UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira is on his way to title contention. 

The one thing that is missing from Teixeira's record though is a win over a top-10 caliber fighter. 

Teixeira has defeated fighters who have had short stints in the UFC including Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Marvin Eastman. 

Teixeira also holds victories over TUF season three finalist Ed "Short Fuse" Herman and former UFC heavyweight champ Ricco Rodriguez. 

Aside from training under the great Chuck Liddell, it seems like the only thing Teixeira has on his side is the UFC hype machine. 

Dana White has been high on Teixeira since he joined the UFC this year. 

It's not hard to understand why. 

Teixeira has great knockout power and has proved to be just as dangerous on the ground. 

But all of Teixeira's hype has has not helped him gain a top light heavyweight fighter. 

After handing Kyle Kingsbury his first submission loss in his UFC debut, Teixeira was going to meet Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. 

But Rua turned down the fight. 

Teixeira was then set to meet Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 153, but injury forced Jackson out of the bout. 

The UFC tried to get yet another former champion, Rashad Evans, to step in, but Evans too turned the fight down. 

Now Teixeira is matched up against another fighter in Fabio Maldonado, who is not a top 10 fighter. 

This is a fight that Teixeira is supposed to win thanks to the hype he has coming into this fight. 

But a loss will send the 32-year-old Brazilian's hype train crashing down. 

Teixeira has some impressive wins and thus far deserves some hype. 

But until he faces and defeats a top light heavyweight, it will be hard to say that he is more than just that—hype.