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What Jones taught Glover Teixeira, and what Teixeira plans for Phil Davis

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UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira spares the subtlety when he talks about his performance against champ Jon Jones.

The way he put it to MMAjunkie Radio: “I have nothing to say. I got my ass kicked for five rounds.”

But Teixeira also learned something from the encounter, which ended in a unanimous decision for Jones at April’s UFC 172 and snapped an eight-year winning streak for the Brazilian.

“I was waiting for the one punch, but he was very smart in avoiding it, so I just need to set up those things more and be a better technical guy,” Teixeira said.

In other words, the Brazilian wanted to end the fight with a home run shot, and in an environment where opponents are using everything at their disposal to stop that, complete with impromptu shoulder locks, front kicks to the knee and fingers accidental or otherwise, it’s best to have more than one weapon.

Of course, being better with patience and technique isn’t always the easiest thing for a fighter, especially if he or she has the ability to end fights with a single punch. Often times, it leads to the type of hesitation and tentativeness that turns exciting fighters into dull ones.

And even as Teixeira (22-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) said earlier in the interview, there’s still a nagging belief that once he’s able to put his fists to use in his upcoming fight against Phil Davis (12-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), he’ll be able to win when they meet on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 179 at Maracanazinho Gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro.

“I know as soon as I get my distance and put my hands on him, he’s going to do down,” he said.

But at the same time, there’s something to be said for using your gift in the smartest of ways, and for the admittedly “old-school” fighter, it’s a worthwhile pursuit, especially if he plans to fight his way back to the top.

Teixeira is ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light heavyweight rankings, while Davis sits at No. 7 after a setback at UFC 172 against Anthony Johnson. The winner of the fight isn’t in line for a title shot, but the loser could find his road back to the belt longer than ever.

Teixeira said he won’t hesitate when he walks into the cage and hoped Davis would engage him off the bat. It would undoubtedly be better for his chances of landing a fight-ending punch, of course, but he said he’s prepared to wait for opportunities.

“I’ve just got to put my combinations together and throw punches in bunches,” said Teixeira.

For complete coverage of UFC 179, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM channel 92, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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