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This weekend sees Glover Teixeira defend his light heavyweight title against top challenger Jiri Prochazka in the headliner of UFC 275. If the Brazilian wins, it’ll be one of his biggest victories to date.
Glover Teixeira has now been in the UFC for just over a decade. In that period of time, he’s pulled off some huge victories with some genuinely tremendous performances.
With an overall octagon record of 16-5 and wins coming via both knockout and submission, it’s safe to say that Teixeira is one of the best fighters of his generation and will be remembered for some time to come regardless of this weekend’s result.
With this in mind, here are Teixeira’s top five performances in the UFC.
#5. Glover Teixeira vs. Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson – UFC on Fox 6
When Glover Teixeira debuted in the UFC in the summer of 2012, it was pretty clear that he was a very dangerous fighter from the off. Not only was he already hugely experienced, sporting an MMA record of 17-2, but he also needed just under two minutes to dispatch his first opponent, Kyle Kingsbury.
It came as no surprise, then, that after one more victory, the UFC pushed the Brazilian right up into the upper echelon, matching him with former light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in his third octagon bout.
Sure, Jackson had fallen on some hard times at that point, but he was still recognized as not only one of the most dangerous strikers in the 205-pound division, but he also had plenty of star power left, too.
Despite 'Rampage’s superior experience levels, though, the fight belonged to Teixeira from the off. The first round saw him dominate proceedings, taking Jackson’s back at one point and then dropping him with a right hook, while the third round saw him take the former champion down and dominate him on the ground.
In the end, Teixeira was awarded a lopsided unanimous decision victory, elevating him into the higher levels of the rankings, somewhere he’s remained since.
#4. Glover Teixeira vs. Thiago Santos – UFC on ESPN 17
Glover Teixeira is undoubtedly one of the most well-rounded fighters in modern UFC history, as he’s shown himself capable of finishing his opponents both on the feet and on the ground. However, one aspect of his style that is largely underrated by the fans is his toughness and durability.
Sure, Teixeira has been finished a couple of times in the octagon, but he’s also fought his way through some major adversity at times, surviving some horrible moments to pull off some big victories.
One such victory came against former title challenger Thiago Santos in November 2020. The fight pitted Teixeira against one of the most dangerous and aggressive strikers in the light heavyweight division. When it began, it looked like he’d bitten off more than he could chew.
‘Marreta’ clocked Teixeira with some huge punches early on, putting him on completely rubber legs. Quite how the future champion remained on his feet was a total mystery. Somehow, Teixeira survived, and was able to turn the tables almost instantly, slamming Santos to the ground.
From there, shaking off the cobwebs, he sliced through his fellow Brazilian’s guard, and punished him for the remainder of the round. The second round followed the same pattern, but after Teixeira narrowly failed to finish his foe, he found himself in danger again when the third round began.
Santos nailed his older foe with a huge left hand that flattened him. After pouncing on him, it appeared that he was seconds away from finding a finish. Incredibly, though, Teixeira again weathered the storm, reversed position, and turned the tables again.
The then-future champion quickly moved into a dominant position, hammered Santos with elbows, and then applied a rear-naked choke to submit him. It was an excellent win for Teixeira, particularly given the storm he weathered, and it set him up perfectly for his title shot in 2021.
#3. Glover Teixeira vs. Ion Cutelaba – UFC Fight Night 150
Another fight that saw Glover Teixeira weather a serious storm came when he faced off with aggressive striker Ion Cutelaba in the spring of 2019. This fight saw the Brazilian come dangerously close to being finished. The fact that he recovered to win makes it stand out as one of his greatest showings.
After a feeling out process in the first round, ‘The Hulk’ dropped Teixeira with a brutal spinning backfist, and then came close to stopping him with some heavy punches on the ground.
However, Teixeira survived, only to get hurt again towards the end of the round, but Cutelaba simply didn’t have enough time to take him out. The Moldovan was clearly confident coming into the second round, but he would soon be disappointed.
Teixeira was recovered once the round began and he quickly tagged Cutelaba with a right hand that wobbled him. ‘The Hulk’ suddenly appeared to be tired and after another big exchange, he found himself dragged to the ground.
From there, Teixeira took full mount, flattened his opponent out, and then choked him out with just over a minute of the round remaining, picking up a big win in the process.
Sure, Cutelaba has proven that he’s not quite the hot prospect that many observers expected him to be in the years that have followed this fight, but at the time, this was a huge win for Teixeira, and the quality of his performance still stands out today.
#2. Glover Teixeira vs. Ryan Bader – UFC Fight Night 28
After defeating his first four opponents in the UFC in impressive fashion, Glover Teixeira found himself in his first headline bout a little over a year after his first octagon appearance. His opponent was perennial contender Ryan Bader, who was coming off three wins in four fights, and a title shot was on the line.
Remarkably, despite coming at the end of what turned out to be one of 2013’s most exciting events, the fight delivered the goods so much that it stole the show entirely and netted Teixeira a $50k bonus in the process.
The fight began in frantic fashion, with Teixeira attempting to take the noted wrestler down, managing it twice before ‘Darth’ quickly bounced back up to his feet.
From there, the two men went into a wild trade that saw Bader drop Teixeira hard with a looping left hand, and from there, ‘Darth’ moved in for the finish.
Teixeira was able to wobble up to his feet, but Bader cracked him with a combination that appeared to have him on the verge of going out. Incredibly, though, as the TUF 8 winner looked for an ending shot, Teixiera fired back with an incredible right-left combo that turned his lights out in an instant.
The come-from-behind win remains one of Teixeira’s most thrilling performances inside the octagon and it was enough to earn him his first shot at UFC gold, although he came up short in his challenge against Jon Jones.
#1. Glover Teixeira vs. Jan Blachowicz – UFC 267
While it didn’t come in a fight as exciting as his wins over the likes of Ryan Bader and Thiago Santos, it’s safe to say that Glover Teixeira’s greatest showing inside the octagon came in his UFC light heavyweight title victory over Jan Blachowicz.
Despite putting together a stellar run of five wins in a row leading into his shot at glory, very few fans were actually giving the Brazilian a chance of winning.
After all, he’d turned 42 years old days before the fight and Blachowicz was on top of his game, coming off a huge win over reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in his previous fight.
However, when it came to their bout, which headlined UFC 267, none of that mattered. Despite Blachowicz throwing his trademark thudding strikes early in the first round, it didn’t take long for Teixeira to drag him out of his comfort zone with a takedown.
The Brazilian dominated the remainder of the round on the mat, and when it came to the second round, Blachowicz was again unable to keep the fight vertical. This time, Teixeira was able to slice through his guard into a dominant position, and after taking the Polish fighter’s back, he wasted no time in sinking a fight-ending choke.
The upset victory made Teixeira just the second fighter to claim UFC gold after his 40th birthday, allowing him to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Randy Couture. Naturally, as it represents the pinnacle of his MMA career, it stands out as his greatest ever octagon performance.
