Glover Teixeira aims to duplicate Randy Couture's feat in UFC 267

MANILA, Philippines – After seven years, peaks and valleys in terms of his career, and a bout with COVID-19, Brazilian-American mixed martial arts fighter Glover Teixeira is getting another shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship.

Teixeira will face off with reigning champion Jan Blachowicz this Sunday, October 31, at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and will be shown live in Premier Sports on Philippine cable television and on streaming via Tap Go.

It’s a bout that MMA fans will enjoy because it features two fighters getting in on the years and with much to prove.

There was talk about Blachowicz being merely a transitional champion after Jon Jones was stripped of his belt. He resoundingly defeated Israel Adesanya in his first title defense and now takes on Teixeira who is on a five-match win streak, including three impressive submissions. 

Teixeira has become a more well-rounded fighter — patient and disciplined while retaining that ferocious power of his. He is 15-5 in the UFC, having been with the organization for a decade now. His upcoming fight with Blachowicz will be his eighth main event in UFC history. 

Should he defeat Blachowicz, Teixeira will be the second oldest fighter after Randy Couture to win a UFC title belt. 

At age 43, Couture won the heavyweight belt for the third and final time after he defeated Tim Sylvia in 2007.

“Training camp is great,” related the Brazilian-American to philstar.com. “We’re finishing the last leg of the camp and will make weight.”

Regarding the seven-year journey to get another title shot, Teixeira chalked it up to “just ups and downs in the career.”

“I’ve been grinding to get that fight to the title. There were a couple of times I knocked on the door, but I lost. So we had to fix some stuff. Now we’re here.”

The seven-year wait notwithstanding; Teixeira believes the timing is never more perfect.

“Seven is a perfect number,” he said. In numerology, the number “seven” is deemed to be lucky in victory and symbolizes depth, knowledge, and that achievement has been made.

Teixeira, of course, isn’t counting on what is said. He knows he will have to bring it against the champion and that ring rust will not be a factor as he has not fought for almost a year (as a result of being infected with Covid-19 that derailed training camp).

“I think ring rust happens to young fighters but I have over 40 fights. I have done this before taking a year or so from fighting and it never really bothered me.”

“The fight could go the distance,” reflected the Brazilian-American. “We both have knockout power. I have the most submissions at the light heavyweight and Jan has knockout power. I have to bring the fight and finish it early.”

Should he match Couture’s feat, Glover Teixeira will wear MMA gold for the first time in his UFC career. 

“It will mean a lot to me,” he pronounced. “It took 20 years since I started training and fighting chasing it and now I am here. And I am seven days away. I hope that seven will be more than a lucky number and I will end the day on a good note.”