With two wins in a row, UFC veteran Glover Teixeira has picked up momentum in the light heavyweight division.  He’ll put that positive run on the line against fellow veteran Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC Fight Night Tampa.

The prelims of Fight Night Tampa can be seen on TSN5, Saturday at 6pm et/3pm pt, the main card can be found on CTV TWO at 8pm et/5pm pt.

The 36-year-old Teixeira knows how pivotal a victory over a fighter with Evans’ stature can be as he tries to battle his way back into the title picture.

“It’s important, Rashad is a former champion and he’s a big name, he was the champion for a reason,” Teixeira told TSN.ca.  “He lost his last fight but he’s been all around, I have a lot of respect for his fight style and I think it’s going to be an exciting fight.  I think it’s going to be my day and I see myself with the win.”

Teixeira not only was not supposed to be in the main event of this card, he wasn’t even originally slated to face Evans.  The original opponent, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, pulled out of the fight with a knee injury leaving a vacancy and five weeks for a training camp.

Following that change, the original main event bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson was pulled when the American suffered a rib injury.

The end result of all of those alterations is that Teixeira finds himself in a five round main event battle.

“It is different when you are training for five rounds and three rounds but I don’t see it making much difference (In the fight),” said Teixeira. “When you spar five rounds you pace yourself but when you do three rounds you go a little harder, a little faster.  It’s just something where I need to get the time right get the five rounds going.  It was a surprise to me, it was a surprise to Rashad so if he beats me it won’t be that reason.   I have no excuses because he didn’t know either.”

As for where the fight will go, the Brazilian is ready to go where the bout takes him.

“I’m not much of a game planning guy; I’ll get into the fight and see where the fight goes.  Rashad he’s a good wrestler, he’s a good striker.  I see me pressuring him, that’s the way I fight.”