"Taking life too serious" - Glover Teixeira details what changes he made after setback loss to Corey Anderson in 2018
Before defending his light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 275 on June 11, Glover Teixeira reflected on his journey to becoming a UFC champion. Getting to the UFC from Brazil was a tough journey, and the road to UFC gold was a long and treacherous one.
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Glover Teixeira's last loss in the octagon came at the hands of Corey Anderson in 2018. Before that, he held a UFC record of 10-4 going into his fight against Anderson. The Brazilian had previously lost a championship fight against Jon Jones in 2014 but picked up big-time wins against Quinton Jackson, Ryan Bader, and Rashad Evans.
After losing by decision to Anderson, Teixeira had to reevaluate his career. The former title challenger had lost three of his last five fights, with two of those losses coming by way of knockout. During an interview with UFC commentator Jon Anik, Teixeira opened up about his struggles in 2018 by saying:
"Taking life too serious. Taking this too serious. I have this gift to fight, and I know how good I am in training and in fighting... After that loss, I was 39 years old, and I was like, if I take this so serious, I'm never gonna fight for the title again. I'm just gonna enjoy my last couple of fights."
Since deciding to let loose in 2018, Teixeira has won all six of his fights, including a win over Jan Blachowicz for the UFC light heavyweight title. At UFC 275, the Brazilian will defend the belt for the first time against rising superstar Jiri Prochazka. 'Denisa' offers several problems for the champion, but 'The Brazilian Pit Bull' is not new to facing adversity and silencing the doubters.
Watch the full interview between Jon Anik and Glover Teixeira below:
Glover Teixeira describes his experience beating Jan Blachowicz to become UFC champion
Glover Teixeira's win at UFC 267 was an unforgettable moment in MMA history. At 42 years old, the Brazilian defied all odds to become the UFC light heavyweight champion. During the same interview, he detailed his experience by saying:
"Everything was perfect that week. I was just confident, not worried about the results at all. I just felt so calm, so relaxed. I saw everything, it was crazy...That left hook come, and it's all history after that.
Over his MMA career, Teixeira has been an icon for never giving up. Hopefully, someone will make a movie about his life one day. Until then, the UFC light heavyweight champion will look to defend the title at UFC 267 against arguably the most dangerous contender in the division.
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