SINGAPORE – UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira is flirting with retirement, and Daniel Cormier believes he should stop.

Cormier, a former two-division UFC champ, thinks Teixeira (33-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) is in a good spot to further his legacy and extend his title reign. Teixeira hasn’t committed to hanging up the gloves at a specific date, but he also hasn’t ruled out retirement in the near future. He’s just focused on “living in the moment.”

The 42-year-old Brazilian returns to the cage this Saturday when he headlines UFC 275 against Jiri Prochazka for his first title defense.

Although Teixeira is at an all-time career high having won a UFC belt, he has plenty of wear-and-tear with 20 years of fighting professionally. Yet, despite his age, Cormier thinks Teixeira should take advantage of the current landscape at 205 pounds.

“I’ll say this, and this is no disrespect for anyone in the division,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “I look at the light heavyweight division, and if I’m him, I’m riding it because the reality is that you never know what can happen.

“I told this to Jiri earlier: From 2009 to 2020, Jon (Jones) or I had the belt. It was like seven, six years Jon and four years me. Nobody else got to touch the belt. But now, they’re kind of passing it around. There ain’t no Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier in that weight class with Glover Teixeira right now.

“Those guys are talented guys, and they can all beat you, but in terms of stylistic matchup, they all seem to be pretty good for him because he can take them down, and they can’t really deal with the top pressure. So if I’m Glover, I’m riding it out. I’m riding this thing out until the wheels fall off. And if somebody beats me, then I’m walking away. But looking at the matchups, no real wrestlers.”

Cormier does say there’s an exception to the shortlist of title contenders at light heavyweight. And that’s streaking Russian fighter Magomed Ankalaev, who’s currently unbeaten in his last eight fights.

“I would stay away from Ankalaev,” Cormier said. “I’d fight all these dudes until Ankalaev is ready. When Ankalaev is ready, I’m like, ‘You know what guys? I think I might be done.’ But, yeah, I think I’d ride it out.”