When fighters transition out of active mixed martial arts rosters, the architecture of their daily discipline shifts entirely. For Glover Teixeira, that evolution has taken a literal turn toward the squared circle. At 46 years old, the former UFC light heavyweight champion is preparing to headline Spaten Fight Night 3 in São Paulo on August 29, facing fellow legend and UFC Hall of Famer Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in a pure boxing match. Yet, the road to this debut is being paved by a familiar dynamic: Teixeira is once again learning from Alex Pereira, the very fighter whose early MMA adaptation he once guided.
“We train very lightly these days,” Teixeira told MMA Fighting. “Back in the day, I used to train hard with him. After I retired, I started helping him more from the coaching side. Sometimes I’ll have someone grapple with him and then in the final minute I’ll jump in and do some boxing with him, work on entries and things like that. But his vision, his striking, the way he approaches a fight, the feints he uses, it’s all high-level. He has an incredibly high fight IQ and I’m learning a lot from him. Now that I’m boxing, I’ll get the chance to apply some of those lessons.”
The timing creates an intriguing cross-training loop in their camp. While Teixeira hones his hands for Rua, Pereira is simultaneously preparing to co-headline UFC White House against Ciryl Gane in a battle for the interim heavyweight strap. Once Pereira's camp priorities settle, the roles reverse to give Teixeira direct tactical fine-tuning. It is an extension of a partnership that began when Pereira first transitioned from kickboxing to MMA.
The Tactical Intersection: Boxing as the Great Equalizer
The matchup with Rua represents a historical collision that fans anticipated for over a decade. The two veterans nearly crossed paths in the UFC back in 2012, and both effectively closed their active UFC chapters on the same night at UFC 283 in January 2023. Stripping away the wrestling, kicks, and jiu-jitsu that defined their storied PRIDE and Octagon careers changes the algebraic equation of the fight.
“I believe I do [have better hands],” Teixeira assessed regarding his matchup against Rua. “I believe in my perseverance and my pressure. Of course, I have to be careful with ‘Shogun’. ‘Shogun’ comes from a striking background so he’s a guy I’ll need the right strategy for. My style is boxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu, but boxing was always the way for me to close the distance. ‘Shogun’ has his knees, his hands, all of that, but once he’s limited to boxing, he’ll lose some of the weapons that make him such a dangerous striker. I think it’s perfect.”
By removing kicks and grappling, both athletes surrender core pillars of their lifelong disciplines. For Teixeira, whose historical success relied heavily on pressure, durable pacing—evidenced by his legendary, grueling comeback win over Anthony Smith where perseverance outlasted youthful aggression—remains a central asset. However, boxing demands an economy of movement that exposes any lingering fatigue.
| Combat Discipline | Teixeira's Advantage | Rua's Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed Martial Arts | Wrestling & Submissions | Dynamic Kickboxing Entries |
| Kickboxing | Pressure & Clinch Work | Range & Kicking Arsenal |
| Boxing (The Matchup) | Close-Range Perseverance | Striking Background & Counter-Timing |
A Legacy Match Built on Pride Roots
The genesis of this boxing match dates back to a casual dinner in Rio de Janeiro in January, followed swiftly by the formal offer from Spaten Fight Night. Rather than a financial necessity, both 44-year-old Rua and 46-year-old Teixeira enter the ring driven by competitive pride and the legacy of an era shaped by PRIDE Fighting Championships.
“I think ‘Shogun’ is going to come in training hard,” Teixeira noted. “He has his name, his pride, and his fans. We’re definitely going to see a well-prepared ‘Shogun’. We have three months to get ready. Neither of us wants to make a fool of ourselves.”
Sources
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- mmafighting.com original
- fights.cz original
- csfd.cz original