Tallison Teixeira appears to be in no rush to insert himself into title contention today, May 30, in the UFC heavyweight title fight against Sergei Pavlovich.
In his latest interview, he revealed his plans to turn two Russians against each other.
Xicao revealed in a recent interview that he is looking to knock off two Russians before becoming a serious contender for the UFC heavyweight championship.
“I look at it in a more grounded way now,” Teixeira said in an interview with MMA Fighting.
He added: “I still see him as a really tough guy. Back then I said ‘if I’m well prepared’ because I knew he was a very tough opponent.
“But not much has changed for me. I still see him as a very dangerous guy, someone that I have to be extremely well prepared to fight, but I think he’s lost a little bit of the momentum and the aggression that he used to have, and I think that can work in my favor.”
“Of course, when it’s time for our match, he can go crazy like he used to, come forward recklessly and throw everything in one blow and try to end the match immediately,” he predicted.
While explaining his preparation for the unpredictable fight, Teixeira said: “It’s a very unpredictable fight. I trained for that possibility, but I also trained in case he takes a more measured approach, slows down the fight and tries to win on points. I really think I’m very well prepared.”
“Even if I beat him, I don’t think I would immediately be in the title conversation,” Teixeira insisted.
“Honestly, I don’t even want it yet. I think I still need one or two more fights before I get into that discussion. But it would put me in the top 5, maybe top 3,” he continued.
Revealing his next big move if he emerges victorious tonight, Xicao said: “Maybe a fight with Volkov next would make sense. Two Russians in a row? That would be fun.”
Knocking out a top contender like Pavlovich would likely put the Brazilian in the top 10 heavyweights.
Teixeira is set for a matchup against Pavlovich in the UFC heavyweight division at 120 kg on Saturday, May 30 in Macau, China.
