Glover Teixeira put a stop to his storied mixed martial arts (MMA) career last night (Sat., Jan. 21, 2023) at UFC 283 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, following a main event loss to Jamahal Hill for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title.
Teixeira had his moments in the five-round affair, but for the most part he was left eating knees, kicks, and punches that rendered his face a bloody mess. The Brazilian fans cheered him on in hopes of a classic Teixeira comeback, but “Sweet Dreams” had his foot on his throat. Teixeira wasn’t able to rebound and when the fight ended he looked like he had given everything he had.
After the UFC light heavyweight title was wrapped around Hill’s waist Teixeira was interviewed by UFC color commentator, Daniel Cormier. During his post-fight speech Teixeira took off his gloves and announced that he was stepping away from the sport. Teixeira claimed to be “too tough for my own good” and promised to focus his time on helping his teammate, current UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira, continue his dominance.
Check out Teixeira’s post-fight retirement speech below:
Glover Teixeira placed his gloves in the center of the Octagon after an epic battle at #UFC283 pic.twitter.com/InEUwZPtnJ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 22, 2023
Teixeira, 43, retires on the same night as legendary Brazilian fighter Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Since making his Octagon debut back in 2012 Teixeira has been a staple at the top of the light heavyweight division. He has fought Jon Jones for the title, defeated Jan Blachowicz to win a title at age 42, and holds memorable stoppages over the likes of Rashad Evans, Ryan Bader, Thiago Santos, Anthony Smith, and the aforementioned Blachowicz.
For complete UFC 283 results and coverage click here.