The Career of Glover Teixeira

By time his profession was stated and finished, Brazilian legend Glover Teixeira made certain his identify would go down within the historical past books as one of many biggest light-heavyweight blended martial arts fighters of all-time.

Glover Teixeira started his profession in June of 2002, the place he was TKO’d in spherical two by a 1-0 opponent named Eric Schwartz at WEC 3. Teixeira then went 2-1 over his subsequent three, successful his second and third fights, earlier than dropping a unanimous resolution to fellow future UFC veteran Ed Herman.

Nonetheless, following a 2-2 begin to his profession, Teixeira wouldn’t lose once more for practically a decade.

Teixeira would win his subsequent 15-straight contests earlier than lastly being signed to the UFC. This included 11 knockouts, 3 submissions, and only one lone resolution victory on this time.

He’d been coaching with former UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell for years at this level, and he was considered one of, if not the best touted prospect outdoors the UFC for a while upon his arrival.

Teixeira was 17-2 at this level with 15 stoppages, and he was making his UFC debut at UFC 146 in Could of 2012, the place he confronted off with six-fight promotional veteran Kyle Kingsbury (4-2 UFC, 11-3 total), who he submitted (arm-triangle choke) in below two minutes.

His sophomore effort got here later that yr in October, the place he confronted fellow Brazilian and former skilled boxer Fabio Maldonado.

Maldonado was 18-5 as an expert (1-2 UFC), and he’d gone 40-5 as an newbie boxer, in addition to 22-0 as an expert. Teixeira completely wrecked Maldonado from begin to end, forcing a physician stoppage on the finish of spherical two. He boxed Maldonado up badly all through and reigned down vicious floor and pound while in prime place when the combat went to the mat.

The putting totals for this bout had been 85-10 in important strikes and 117-14 in whole strikes, each in favor of Teixeira.

This efficiency handed Teixeira the 2012 Beatdown of the Yr award.

Subsequent Teixeira dominated former UFC light-heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson (32-10, 7-4 UFC) to a unanimous resolution victory, doubling up on strikes towards the previous champion and securing 5 takedowns in 5 makes an attempt.

James Te Huna (16-5) was subsequent up, a fellow knockout artist that was 5-1 contained in the octagon on the time who’d solely misplaced to eventual three-time title challenger Alexander Gustafsson contained in the promotion. Teixeira rocked Te Huna with a punch and jumped on a guillotine choke to safe the submission victory halfway by way of the opening spherical.

Teixeira then confronted eventual two-division Bellator champion Ryan Bader (15-3, 8-3 UFC), who he TKO’d with a thunderous defensive boxing mixture together with his again to the fence, as soon as once more within the opening spherical.

Bader went on to go 12-1 over his subsequent 13 contests, laying declare to Bellator’s heavyweight and light-heavyweight championships, the place he to this present day nonetheless holds the heavyweight title.

Teixeira had lastly earned a protracted awaited title shot of his personal following this 5-0 run to start his UFC profession, his win over Bader making it 20-straight. He fought Jon Jones for the UFC light-heavyweight championship in April of 2014 at UFC 172, a combat he was completely dominated in all through en path to a unanimous resolution defeat.

However hey, he misplaced to the best fighter ever in many individuals’s eyes.

Future Bellator light-heavyweight champion Phil Davis was subsequent up, who handily out-wrestled Teixeira to a different unanimous resolution, and out of the blue Teixeira wasn’t trying so unstoppable. Following his 20-fight win streak that noticed 17 finishes, he’d then misplaced his subsequent eight rounds straight, albeit to prime three skills.

Teixeira obtained again to his successful methods practically a yr later in August of 2015, the place he first defeated Ovince Saint Preux (rear bare choke), earlier than stopping Patrick Cummins (TKO), after which former UFC light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans (KO).

Saint Preux was 18-6 as an expert (6-1 UFC with 5 finishes), dropping to skills corresponding to Ryan Bader and Gegard Mousasi in his earlier defeats, Cummins went on to defeat future light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, and Evans was 2-1 in his final three with wins over Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen coming in.

Nonetheless, the identical man that handed Ryan Bader that one loss in his 13-fight span talked about above, Anthony Johnson, did the identical to Teixeira within the Brazilian’s subsequent outing, violently KO’ing him stiff in a mere 15 seconds.

Teixeira had a little bit of a back-and-forth span for the subsequent couple years right here, as he’d subsequent defeat future middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier (UD), lose to Alexander Gustafsson (KO), beat Misha Cirkunov (TKO), after which lose to Corey Anderson (UD) the identical method he misplaced to Phil Davis, being mauled for three-straight rounds, bringing his file to 27-7.

However, following this 2-3 run was nothing in need of an astounding, extraordinary profession resurgence.

Teixeira went on to win his subsequent six-straight towards the likes of Karl Roberson (arm-triangle choke), Ion Cutelaba (rear bare choke), Nikita Krylov (SD), Anthony Smith (TKO), and Thiago Santos (rear bare choke).

Discover that was simply 5 names, the sixth of which got here in his second title shot, the place he dethroned Jan Blachowicz (rear bare choke) in dominant vogue to assert the UFC light-heavyweight championship simply two days following his forty second birthday.

What’s really unbelievable about that is that quite a few these names practically beat him; Roberson, a former professional kickboxer, Krylov, a confirmed finisher, Smith, a former title challenger, and Santos, one other former title challenger, all practically knocked him out, earlier than he’d safe unbelievable comeback wins in every combat.

Additionally, that stoppage victory over Anthony Smith awarded him his second Beatdown of the Yr honor.

Nonetheless, that’s the place his ceiling was topped, successful the UFC light-heavyweight championship.

Teixeira went into his first title protection opposing former Rizin light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1), who got here into the bout on a 12-fight win, and 11-fight knockout streak. Of his 28 wins, 25 got here by way of knockout with two submissions, and only one single resolution.

What’s extra, Prochazka was 22-1-1 in his final 24, and he’d avenged that lone defeat.

After 24-and-a-half minutes of absolute conflict, the place Teixeira was up on the playing cards 3-1 going into the fifth and closing spherical, Prochazka shocked the world together with his unbelievable submission (rear bare choke) win with simply 28 seconds left on the clock.

This combat was awarded 2022 Struggle of the Yr, and it may have simply been a Submission of the Yr win for Prochazka. Glover Teixeira is the best grappler the UFC’s 205 lb division has ever seen, boasting a 2nd-degree black belt in BJJ, in addition to a pair submission data, you’ll see on the backside of this piece.

Teixeira was lined up for a right away rematch with Prochazka, which was meant to go down at UFC 282 in December of 2022. Nonetheless, Prochazka was compelled from the bout with a nasty shoulder damage that required surgical procedure, and the UFC determined to make no. 3 ranked former champion Jan Blachowicz versus no. 2 ranked Magomed Ankalaev the principle occasion for the vacant title.

These two had been already scheduled for a three-round affair, however with the UFC wanting to maintain a title combat on the cardboard, Teixeira was left at the hours of darkness.

The factor is, that combat between Blachowicz and Ankalaev led to a draw, leaving the UFC and not using a light-heavyweight champion.

Dana White then determined to make one other vacant title combat, this one went down one PPV later at UFC 283 between Teixeira after which no. 7 ranked Jamahal Hill.

Unlucky for Teixeira, he was unable to get the win right here, dropping all 5 rounds to the a lot youthful and extra agile Hill. However he had his moments. He obtained Hill down a pair occasions, landed some exhausting punches, and showcased the guts of a lion en path to his unanimous resolution defeat.

Teixeira determined to retire following this defeat, changing into the second Brazilian legend to retire in Rio at UFC 283 behind former PRIDE and UFC light-heavyweight champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.

Glover Teixeira Profession Accomplishments

BJJ

• 2nd-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• ADCC South American Championships gold medalist (2009)
• ADCC South American Championships silver medalist (2011)

Blended Martial Arts

• Most finishes in UFC light-heavyweight historical past (13)
• Most submission wins in UFC light-heavyweight historical past (7)
• Most submission makes an attempt in UFC light-heavyweight historical past (16)
• Second-most wins in UFC light-heavyweight historical past (16)
• Second-most post-fight bonuses in UFC light-heavyweight historical past (10)
• Two-time Beatdown of the Yr winner (2012 towards Fabio Maldonado, 2020 towards Anthony Smith)
• 2020 Comeback Fighter of the Yr
• Retired in 2023 with file of 33-9
• Wins- 18 knockout, 10 submission, 5 resolution
• Losses – 3 knockout, 1 submission, 5 resolution

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I turned a fan of fight sports activities once I was 12 years outdated. I used to be scrolling by way of the channels and landed upon versus, the place WEC was televised. Urijah Faber fought Jens Pulver for the second time that evening. That’s the primary combat I noticed, and the combat that obtained me hooked on the game. Since then, the game has grown so quickly, and my aim is to enlighten everybody on what’s occurring within the sport at this time.