Before all hell broke loose, Jimi Manuwa was seemingly the next guy in line for a UFC light heavyweight title shot. Of course, then we were hit with a Jon Jones controversy and Manuwa was hit by Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 214. That was at the end of July, now the hard-hitting Brit is ready to come back to the Octagon and get back on track for a title shot. In order to do this, he wants to take on scrappy veteran Glover Teixeira on his path to gold.

I want glover in my next fight, after that I’m coming for Cormier or oezdemir, who ever wins. 1 fight then the title is what’s happening #lionseatfirst pic.twitter.com/W7fmfvLekK

— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) November 9, 2017

It’s a match-up that just makes perfect sense. Both Jimi Manuwa and Glover Teixeira have beaten Ovince Saint Preux and both have been beaten by Alexander Gustafsson. Manuwa has won three of his last six and Teixeira has won four of his last six. Manuwa is ranked fourth and Teixeira is ranked third at light heavyweight. It’s a great scrap that would set the winner into a situation that Manuwa just mentioned himself: Potentially one fight away from another title shot.

The little nugget here is Jimi Manuwa’s language he uses when saying he wants whoever wins between Daniel Cormier and Volkan Oezdemir after a fight with Glover Teixeira. Does he know something we don’t? Of course, Cormier said awhile back that Oezdemir is next and the Swede told Ariel Helwani himself that it was targeted for UFC 220 in Boston for January 20th. Hopefully we can see both matches booked and announced soon to get a good kick-off to 2018.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 11/9/2017