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Glover Teixeira: The UFC will trump soccer as the biggest sport in Brazil

11K views 150 replies 32 participants last post by  RangerClydeTheBlue 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
After just one fight under the UFC banner, UFC newcomer Glover Teixeira has quickly become one of the most feared fighters in the UFC's light-heavyweight division.

Teixeira (18-2) made his much anticipated UFC debut at UFC 146 against dangerous UFC veteran, Kyle Kingsbury. He made quick work of the veteran rocking him several times on the feet, before taking him down, mounting him, and submitted him with an arm triangle choke that forced a tap just two minutes into the fight.

Since then, several top contenders in the light-heavyweight division have expressed hesitancy when asked to face the Brazilian stand out at upcoming UFC events.

One of those fighters is former champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, who received a lot of heat from fans when he turned down a fight against Teixeira, however, Teixeira believes that a lot of the scrutiny Shogun received was unnecessary.

"He has fought the greatest fighters out there." Glover Teixeira told MMAInterviews.tv "Shogun is a great fighter. He is a warrior; we all know this. People say something, but its a manager's decision."

Teixeira is scheduled to face off in the Octagon against fellow Brazilian Fabio Maldonado at UFC 153 on Oct. 13 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The event will air live on pay-per-view in the U.S, but is also scheduled to air live on Brazilian national TV where viewing numbers are expected to break the previous record of 50 million viewers set by UFC 142 earlier this year.

With the current explosion of MMA in the Brazilian culture, and TV ratings for UFC events reaching astronomical numbers, Teixeira believes it's only a mater of time before MMA overtakes soccer as the nations most popular sport.

"MMA has always been big," Glover Teixeira said. "But after the UFC went over there it's crazy. I never thought I would see the day where I would say this; the UFC will be bigger than soccer, and I believe its gonna be, because people are disappointed with soccer anyways. All the soccer players are doing crazy stuff over there, and not playing well. Brazil not doing very well lately in the games. People are just talking more about fighting than soccer.

"All the fans, the soccer fans when they lose or whatever, they are disappointed, they always say, 'Yeah, the time now is MMA man, because in mma we have Jose Aldo, Junior Dos Santos, Lyoto, Anderson Silva, and Minotauro.' The great fighters you know. So they always say those warriors man, those guys go over there and they don't play. Soccer is the national passion over there, but I think I'll see the day man. I want to be champion when that day comes."
Source: http://fiveknuckles.com/mma-news/Gl...soccer-as-the-number-one-sport-in-Brazil.html

I wouldn't have thought this possible just a couple years ago, but Texeira makes sense. They have so many good fighters and soccer isn't doing so well in Brazil right now. I remember Dana White saying that UFC will over take soccer worldwide too. I think it will take time, but I think it'll happen. They are going to China, India, they already have a foothold in North and South America, West and Eastern Europe and Australia.
 
#64 ·
Um... no it's not. Just because you can watch it on tv doesn't make it big here. No not everyone is aware of the impact soccer has had on Brazil. The only time the two are mentioned together is if there is a soccer riot.

I have lived around sports fan my whole life. I have lived in damn near every area of this country. I know more about how they see sports than you do. Soccer is not big here. The only soccer player these people know is Beckham and they've never seen him play the game.
 
#74 · (Edited)
There's only one way to clear this up. Can all of the other Americans viewing this thread post whether or not they are aware that football is the biggest sport in the world, or do you guys really believe that the sports exclusive to your country are the biggest.

I find it extremely hard to believe that Americans don't know how big football is on a global level.
 
#75 ·
I'm pretty sure like 1% of Americans would say Baseball is the world's biggest sport. Considering that it's only really big in America, it's a pretty unlikley answer. You're making Americans out to be more stupid than they are (yes, Ive got the jokes too, but Im one infraction too many as it is).

Regardless, right this second, in total across the world, football is the biggest sport in the world. It might not be the most popular in YOUR country, but if you have any sort of cultural awareness you will know how big it is. I dont watch handegg because it's one guy throwing a ball to another, then he gets tackled and the whole thing restarts. That doesnt mean that Im not aware of how popular the NFL is.

EDIT: Grapple, rephrase to just "soccer" in general. English football seems like you're referring to the premiership alone.
 
#77 ·
Right, just what I was thinking. The NFL isn't hardly ever broadcast over here in the UK, hardly any one really watches it, yet as a country, we're all well aware of how popular the NFL is in America. People just know these things, y'know. People aren't that ignorant towards other cultures.

Edit: I'm not calling it soccer because the correct name is football. I hate that term man.
 
#80 ·
This is my last post in this thread.

Foreigners trying to tell me how my country that I have lived in all of my life sees their sports is ignorant in the extreme. You literally have no ******* clue what you are talking about. You have no experience or exposure upon which to base this. I do. I have a lifetime of experience in the culture being discussed and dealing with it's sports fans.

Do you want to know why their aren't other Americans really posting in this thread? Because they don't care about Teixeira saying this and because they know that the soccer fans will come in bitching and moaning about how ridiculous it is.

My original point in this thread - which Soojookoo and GrappleRetarded so gracefully missed in their hyperbole and fan rage - was just this: a fighter thought his sport was going to be bigger in one country than soccer. So what? Every athlete thinks their sport is the best. If you don't you shouldn't be playing.
 
#81 ·
No one is claiming people are wrong for thinking their sport is the best in the world. You can't seem to understand the difference between thinking your sport is the best, to thinking your sport is the most popular, or will become the most popular.

Popularity doesn't determine how good some thing actually is.

I prefer watching MMA to football. MMA gets my adrenaline flowing like no other sport, yet I can recognise that combat sports like MMA will probably always have a niche audience. To compare it to football in terms of popularity in mine, my kids or my grandkids lifetimes is just ridiculous.

You are basically saying that your country is fitting the classic American sterotype of being ignorant towards other countries and cultures and thinking that only American sports are the biggest in the world. That's what you're saying. You say you're not exposed to football in the US and that you don't broadcast it on TV. Well, we have the exact same situation in the UK with the NFL/American football. No one here watches it, yet we all recognise that it is an incredibly popular American sport. People just know these things.

I personally think you're just full of shit. You also claim to have like 8-10 years of boxing experience and don't have a single photo or video of you ever boxing. I think you're just a billy bullshitter mate.
 
#84 ·
"or being a ******* asshole. You don't know why I don't have video and you certainly don't know the culture the way I do. People here only want to see news on a sport if it's one they watch. So no airtime for soccer. Sorry. "

neg rep courtesy of deadman, lol.

He seems to think that this entire discussion is about mad europeans who are angry that football isn't broadcast much on the TV in the states.

I don't think he's had any grasp of this entire debate since the get go.
 
#87 ·
Pos Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD Pts
1 Chelsea 7 4 0 0 11 3 2 1 0 4 1 11 19
2 Manchester United 7 2 0 1 9 5 3 0 1 8 4 8 15
3 Manchester City 7 3 1 0 10 4 1 2 0 5 4 7 15
4 Everton 7 2 1 0 6 3 2 1 1 8 5 6 14
5 Tottenham Hotspur 7 2 2 0 6 3 2 0 1 7 5 5 14
6 West Bromwich Albion 7 4 0 0 9 2 0 2 1 2 5 4 14
7 Arsenal 7 1 1 1 7 3 2 2 0 6 2 8 12

What was that luckbox?
 
#88 ·
What's the prize for the 7 game season again? Cause I forgot. What I remember is the 38 game season, you know the one where the last time Tottenham finished ahead of Arsenal O.J was in trial for murder and Batman Forever was number 1 at the box office.
 
#90 ·
You will never get the chance you had last year again. The way you blew it with 10 points clear and 2-0 up at our ground with a chance to end it all show how big bottlers you lot are. You are forever the little brother in North London, it's in your DNA.

Edit: It occurs to me this isn't exactly on topic.
 
#107 ·
I'm not sure where you are going with this, those pics have nothing to do with Tottenham.

Yes, the celebration incident was what I was referring to. And I like Henke alot, but let's not get crazy here. He is no Henry. I'll gladly debate you on it, but you know aswell as I do that I'll win that one.
 
#116 ·
Okay bud. :thumbsup:

I dont know how that is ignorant

but

okay...


And btw

Most people i know cant stand soccer. They dont hang around people who like soccer. Yet they know its the most popular sport in the world.

This is just one of those facts everyone knows. Im shocked to hear that there are people out there that wouldnt know that.
 
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