Jimi Manuwa calls out Glover Teixeira for UFC London
By Kyle Walton
Following an emphatic victory in Winnipeg Saturday night, Glover Teixeira is already garnering the attention of fellow top-ranked light heavyweights.
When the UFC entered the “Great White North” of Winnipeg, top 10-ranked light heavyweights Glover Teixeira and Misha Cirkunov looked to cement their place among the 205-pound rankings. Unfortunately for Cirkunov, Teixeira came ready to make a statement Saturday night.
Teixeira opened the UFC Winnipeg main card with a stunning first-round TKO victory. The exciting win certainly reinvigorates the third-ranked light heavyweight. Prior to defeating Cirkunov, Teixeira’s last appearance inside the Octagon was a harrowing loss to Alexander Gustafsson.
As soon as the referee waved off the fight, Teixeira made a point to call out UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, who was cageside on commentary. While Cormier is already booked for a UFC 220 title defense, it was another top-five ranked competitor that had his sights set on Teixeira.
@gloverteixeira #ufclondon ☝🏾 let’s do this
— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) December 17, 2017
Just minutes after Bruce Buffer made it official, “Poster Boy” Jimi Manuwa was quick to take to Twitter and call out Teixeira. Manuwa, currently ranked fourth in the UFC light heavyweight ranks, wants to schedule the bout at the O2 Arena this coming March in London, England. Currently, Manuwa fights and trains out of London and would surely welcome a fight in his own backyard.
Manuwa has experienced a roller coaster of wins over the past three years in the Octagon. Just as “Poster Boy” seemed to find his footing with back-to-back knockouts of Ovince Saint Preux and Corey Anderson, his momentum abruptly halted this past July. Manuwa suffered a knockout loss of his own against top contender Volkan Oezdemir in the first round of their UFC 214 bout.
Next: Top 10 knockouts that ended a UFC career
While London may look perfect to Manuwa, Teixeira would likely push to be placed on the same UFC 220 card as Cormier’s title defense against Oezdemir. In case Oezdemir misses weight, or becomes thwarted due to recent legal proceedings, Teixeira could be next in line to fill the void.