Just when former UFC champion Glover Teixeira seemed content with his new chapter as a coach, he’s lacing up the gloves for a boxing match against a fellow legend.
The 46-year-old Teixeira hasn’t competed since his final UFC fight, which took place against Jamahal Hill at UFC 283 for the vacant light heavyweight title. He’s since been coaching Alex Pereira throughout his championship run, and now has Yousri Belgaroui under his wing as well. While coaching has been fulfilling, Teixeira found an opportunity to return to action.
On Aug. 29, he steps into the ring to box UFC Hall of Famer Mauricio Rua at Spaten Fight Night in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It’s a fight that Teixeira wasn’t necessarily looking for, but when the right name, right place, and right time came along, he couldn’t say no.
“I’m always training, but every once in a while I put my gloves on, and I play with Alex (Pereira). I play with Yousri (Belgaroui), but nothing crazy, you know, because I don’t spar if I’m retired,” Teixeira told MMA Junkie. “Then Alex said, ‘Glover, you gotta go back and fight.’ Then Ana Hissa, she’s like, ‘Hey, I work with Spaten, they’re trying to put a fight together. You wanna fight in Spaten Boxing?’ I said, ‘Hell yeah, I wanna fight. I love to do boxing.’”
Somehow, the two never crossed paths during their MMA careers. Teixeira said the only opportunity that arose was shortly after his fight against Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 146, when Rua needed a short-notice replacement opponent, but the fight never came to be.
“I fought everybody, he fought everybody, we didn’t fight each other – and that’s great,” Teixeira said. “We retired the same day, here we are. We’re gonna go in there and do some boxing and let it out, man.”
The boxing match between former UFC champions Glover Teixeira and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Spaten Fight Night 3 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It has not happened yet. [1, 2]
Theyre probably not big on testing so it should be closer to vintage Shogun.
im already sad
I love Glover, he is such a bad ass old man.
Insightful
https://x.com/ChampRDS/status/2093917209760330238/video/1?s=46
Different angle and then the slow motion sloppy exhausted old man exchanges in the last 20 seconds or so
Fackkk man…terrible seeing old Shogun being battered around like that.
Are these guys not on any PEDs? I thought that was the whole joy about not being tested anymore.