At 42 years of age, Glover Teixeira made history as the oldest man to capture a UFC title for the first time. Now he reveals a potential timeline for his eventual retirement from competition.
When Teixeira was granted his second chance to capture the 205lb strap, few expected things to unfold the way that they did. Glover was able to beat Jan Blachowicz in the first round, rocking him with punches before getting the tap.
Even Glover, himself was surprised at the ease with which he was able to beat the champion and win the belt. Speaking on The MMA Hour, he explained that he thought it was going to be a war, but Jan likely tapped because he knew he was not going to go anywhere.
“When the announcer was announcing my name, I was just looking at the ground, looking at the blood. I’m a bleeder myself, and I was like ‘We are going to contribute to this blood in here, because this is going to be a war. I was thinking that, you know, this is going to be a war, it’s not going to be an easy fight, but I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever comes in this cage. It’s a man across the Octagon with me, and I have to beat him. I’ll be world champion tonight,” Teixeira said.
“I didn’t think I was going to dominate him and take him down that easily. Again, easy with all respect, it was a quick takedown… I was punching him… I stretched him to the ground, my cup was pressing into his back, that’s uncomfortable pressure there. I knew he was not going to go anywhere, so he probably knew that too. It’s a tough position to get out, so he might as well just tap, I guess.”
Jiri Prochazka Will Likely Be Next
Serving as the backup for the UFC 267 main event title fight between Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira, was hot prospect Jiri Prochazka. With him making the championship weight, it was expected that he would be next for the champ.
Glover explained that, to the best of his knowledge, this will like be who he faces when he returns in the spring. That said, he is willing to take on whoever the UFC presents him with.
“Yeah I think so (Jiri is next). For me, it doesn’t matter. I’m a fighter, I’m always a fighter. I always wanted to fight the champion, now I”m fighting whoever is coming my way. Jiri is supposed to be the next guy, he was there cutting weight and getting ready for the title, and is supposed to be the next guy,” Teixeira said.
“I have a minor injury in my shoulder… doctor said it’s pretty cool. It’s probably just a pulled muscle. But, April, May next year. (I want to) hang out this year, I need a little rest for my body, come back next year and start training.”
Glover Teixeira Knows Retirement Is Coming
At 42 years old, despite being the new champion, it is hard to deny that Glover Teixeira is close to retiring. In fact, he said this was something that was on his mind ahead of UFC 267.
At this point, he is taking things one fight at a time, but is looking at a potential 2022 retirement. At that point, he would be 20 years into his professional MMA career, and feels like this would be a natural way for this chapter in his life to conclude.
“It all depended on how the fight would have gone (at UFC 267), but the way the fight went I feel amazing… I was not thinking about (retirement) but I’m at a point in my life where I’m like, how am I doing this? Am I really passionate about it? I’m still going to the gym with passion, I want to get better, I want to listen,” Teixiera said.
“I love it and I’m doing good. It depends the way I fight and the way I train. If I start training bad, or I start fighting bad, and not as good anymore, that’s when I’ll probably call it a day… I don’t know. 2022 would be be actually 20 years that I’ve been fighting professionally… It would be a great career end in 2022 but who knows man. I don’t like to make plans for the future because if you asked me a while ago if I would be fighting at 42, I would probably say no.”
Whenever Glover Teixeira decides to call it a career, he will go down as a one of a kind fighter. Next up though, it seems he will taking on Jiri Prochazka in the first half of the year.
