Glover Teixeira believes he still has plenty to give in the mixed martial arts (MMA) space as a competitor.
UFC 282 this past weekend (Dec. 10, 2022) was originally supposed to be Teixeira’s shot at reclaiming the title, redeeming himself with a win over his UFC Light Heavyweight title successor, Jiri Prochazka. Things took a turn for the worst when Prochazka suffered a gnarly shoulder injury, however, leading to the co-main event between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev getting promoted to the main event for the vacant crown.
In another wild turn of events, Blachowicz and Ankalaev battled to a split draw, leaving the title vacant. Literal moments later, UFC President, Dana White, announced that Teixeira would now go on to face Jamahal Hill at UFC 283 on Jan. 21, 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to fight for the strap. Despite being a seasoned 43 years old, Teixeira has no plans to walk away with a second career UFC title victory.
“It definitely won’t be any retirement now,” Teixeira told MMA Fighting. “Someone asked me back then, ‘Do you think one more fight, and then defend your belt at Madison Square Garden [and retire]?’ I said ‘Who knows.’ If this weekend, especially what happened to me, hasn’t taught me anything… I never make plans for the future. I live in the present. I don’t have such plans, ‘I’ll retire at that date.’ The day I retire will be the day I’m training poorly, when I don’t want to go to the gym anymore.
“I had moments like that back in the day,” he continued. “I was dealing with injuries, I was down. When I lost to Corey Anderson I thought, ‘F—k, I’ll fight one more and if I lose, I’ll retire.’ But then I was happy again, new gym, changing a few things and being happy as f—k. I love to be training and fighting. You saw my last fight, the one with Jiri. We see the level I’m fighting. It’s intense. My fight is intense and that’s why people can’t keep up with it.”
Teixeira will look to fend off the dangerous striker, Hill, as it’s the American’s first title opportunity. Turning back rising contenders has been nothing new for Teixeira in his career. The former champion expects his strong grappling game to be too much for “Sweet Dreams.”
“I’m the better man, that’s what I have to think,” Teixeira said. “Do the right strategy and submit this guy. Take him down, submit him, or knock him out. Everybody knows my style already. Take him down, but get the hand gets in if he lets it.”