Teixeira: Jones could be Usain Bolt, or Lance Armstrong
Glover Teixeira: Jon Jones could be Usain Bolt, or Lance Armstrong
Glover Teixeira fights Anthony Johnson in the co-main event of UFC 202 on Saturday night. A win should earn him a title shot at division champion Daniel Cormier.
However, interim champion Jon Jones recently said without accompanying details that he should be back soon from a failed PED test. The remarks, which at first glance could be discounted as wishful thinking, were echoed by UFC president Dana White.
“I’ve got to let this thing play out between USADA and the Nevada state athletic commission, but this guy has like 12 lives, it’s unbelievable,” said White. “Things are looking up for him.”
So a win for Teixeira could mean a shot at the winner of Cormier vs. Jones. it is impossible for Glover, and the sport, to avoid Jones, who is likely the greatest fighter in MMA history, and too suffers mightily from what might kindly be referred to as a lack of judgement.
“It’s hard to comment,” began Teixeira, as translated by Lucas Rezende for BE, based on an interview with Brazil’s Combate. “Jon Jones is the best fighter in history. He could be doing what Usain Bolt is doing. He’s one of the best fighters ever, defeated everybody in the weight class and then does what he’s been doing for the past couple of years. It’s sad. We want a chance to fight the guy. To get in there and knock him out. But it’s part of the sport.
“We never want anything bad to happen, especially to an athlete like Jon Jones. I hope he can get back on track. I don’t think Jon Jones needed to take anything. He’s younger than everybody else. Plus, if he took something he shouldn’t, he should lose his title. He’s like Lance Armstrong, who won all those titles and then they took them away from him. So the question remains. Was he really a champion or could anybody have been the champion if they were taking what he was taking?”
Glover Teixeira fights Anthony Johnson in the co-main event of UFC 202, in Las Vegas, on SatudayAugust 20. UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor fights Nate Diaz in the main event.