5 retirement fights for Glover Teixeira in the UFC
Glover Teixeira has had a Hall of Fame-worthy UFC career. The former light heavyweight champion is coming off a loss to Jiri Prochazka, which saw him lose his championship. Although he was submitted, he was up on the scorecards and 28 seconds away from earning a decision win.
After the loss, Teixeira stated that he intends to continue fighting but will have a decision to make. He will have to decide whether he’s going to commit to another title run or pursue more lucrative bouts. As it pertains to his own career, he proved that age is just a number, which has been inspiring to see.
There are intriguing bouts and even rematches that could appeal to Teixeira going forward. There are also plenty of opponents that would be fitting for his final bout if he decides to retire. This list will look at five potential retirement bouts for Glover Teixeira in the UFC.
#5 Former UFC title challenger Thiago Santos
Former UFC title challenger Thiago Santos has experienced ups and downs since his title shot in 2019. He sustained a career-threatening injury during his split decision loss to Jon Jones. The injuries resulted in him being out of action for well over a year and he hasn’t been the same since.
Marreta’s return bout came against Teixeira, who submitted him with a rear-naked choke in the third round. He then had a career-threatening loss to Aleksandar Rakic, but turned things around by earning a unanimous decision over Johnny Walker.
He most recently lost a unanimous decision to Magomed Ankalaev, so he once again finds himself in a predicament.
The No. 7 ranked Santos is now scheduled to compete against No. 10 ranked light heavyweight Jamahal Hill in August. If he picks up a decisive win, it could possibly set the stage for a rematch with Teixeira.
‘Marreta’ could use that as extra motivation as he would have an opportunity to avenge his loss to the former champion.