Proving to be legit threats in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight division, James Te Huna and Glover Teixeira will collide this weekend (May 25, 2013) at UFC 160.
With a win, one of the heavy-hitters could inch themselves closer to a shot at the 205-pound strap in a fight that could prove to be an early "Fight of the Night" candidate in Las Vegas, Nevada.
That could prove to be a tough "Fight Night" bonus to grab in a card that features heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez taking on Antonio Silva, Mark Hunt facing off against Junior dos Santos and Donald Cerrone battling stand-up specialist K.J. Noons.
But, as Te Huna tells UFC.com, with Glover's aggressive "bully" style and his own refusal to take a single step backward, the fight will prove to be a treat for the fans. While he's at it, the New Zealander also plans to expose Glover's weaknesses.
He explains:
"He is a very dangerous guy, probably one of the most dangerous guys in the light heavyweight division right now. But I've seen some holes in his game and I think I can take advantage of those mistakes that he does. He's pretty much a bully; that sums up the person that he is and the fighter that he is. He's a bully, he pushes people back and that's something that I don't want to do and I don't like taking a backwards step, so it's gonna be a good fight for the fans."
Te Huna received the fight on one of the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) cards of the year after Ryan Bader, Glover's original opponent, was forced off the event due to injury.
After racking up four straight wins and winning five of six overall inside the Octagon with his lone defeat coming at the hands of Swedish sensation Alexander Gustafsson, James looks for the biggest win of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career against the scrappy Brazilian.
It won't be easy, as Glover, who is the owner of a ridiculous 18-fight winning streak, has emphatically cemented his place among the 205-pound elite by dominating Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado in impressive fashion and going toe-to-toe with former light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson.
And while Te Huna is adamant he won't be stepping backward inside the cage, only one will be taking that all important step forward in the fight capitol of the world.
Who will it be?