Glover Teixeira willing to fight anyone in the UFC (except Lyoto Machida)

With the short list of viable title contenders in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight ranks, it's easy to see why Brazilian import Glover Teixeira is all the rage.

Aside from his 16-fight winning streak, the submission-savvy mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran made a statement at UFC 146 in his Octagon debut, choking out the venerable Kyle Kingsbury and capturing "Submission of the Night" in the process.

There's already whispers of expediting his rise to the top.

That means Teixeira could be looking at a "big name" opponent for his next fight, something he is more than willing to accept -- so long as it isn't his friend and former training partner Lyoto Machida.

His conversation with TapouT Radio (via Bloody Elbow) after the jump.

"In the UFC, it's about names. Every fight is hard, and everybody knows all the disciplines. Some might know more than others. You just see the big names. Some guys that are just starting out might fight better than the big name guys. I really don't care. I just want to prove to myself and to the fans that I deserve to be in the UFC. I'll fight whoever they give me. A big name would be better, because it will give me a jump in my career, but it's not something I'm actively looking for. It's whatever comes. Right now, the one I wouldn't want to fight is Lyoto Machida. I've trained with him, I help him out and he's a great guy. I just arrived in the UFC, and I'm not really in a situation to say no. Whatever they tell me to do, I'll do, but if I could have a say, Lyoto would be the one I wouldn't want to fight."

Now that division champion Jon Jones has all but cleaned out the 205-pound division (Dan Henderson notwithstanding), there are plenty of former titleholders to choose from, even with "The Dragon" removed from consideration.

So who gets the call?

For more on Teixeira's UFC debut earlier this month at the "Dos Santos vs. Mir" event in Las Vegas, Nevada, click here.