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.

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#5 Former UFC title challenger Thiago Santos

Fight Night: Santos v Teixeira: Weigh-Ins

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.

#4 No. 4 Ranked UFC light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev

No.4 Ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev has put himself in a great position in the UFC light heavyweight division. The No. 4 ranked light heavyweight has only tasted defeat once since joining the promotion in 2018.

Since his lone loss, he has won eight-straight bouts and looks like he could pose a threat to reigning champion Jiri Prochazka.

Ankalaev is coming off a unanimous decision win over Thiago Santos, which moved him closer to a title shot. He is scheduled to compete against former title challenger Anthony Smith on July 30. The bout could possibly serve as a title eliminator, so it’ll be a great opportunity for both.

If ‘Lionheart’ snaps Ankalaev’s winning streak, perhaps the promotion could book him against Teixeira. It would keep both fighters in the top-5 of the division, while also ensuring that the result is significant for both.

Teixeira and Ankalaev would make for an interesting grappling battle that neither could afford to make a mistake in.

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#3 Former UFC title challenger Alexander Gustafsson

Former title challenger Alexander Gustafsson

Alexander Gustafsson is one of the greatest fighters never to win a UFC championship. He has been consistent and remained in contention throughout his career, but was unable to win the title. He has hit a rough stretch as he has three straight losses for the first time in his career.

The Hall of Famer even attempted a move to heavyweight division to rejuvenate his career. However, he was submitted by former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. Gustafsson was scheduled to compete against Ben Rothwell, but after plans fell through, ‘The Mauler’ decided to return to 205lbs.

Gustafsson is scheduled to compete against No. 11 ranked Nikita Krylov and a win could put him back in the title picture. If he wins in impressive fashion, a bout against Teixeira becomes a lot more appealing.

It would be a rematch of their 2017 bout during which ‘The Mauler’ earned a fifth-round knockout win. Coincidentally, it was the last time Gustafsson won a bout inside the octagon.

#2 Former UFC title challenger Dominick Reyes

Former title challenger Dominick Reyes

Former UFC title challenger Dominick Reyes could be a wildcard in the light heavyweight division. He is currently on a three-fight losing skid that began when he challenged then-light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. He did well and went the distance, but lost via unanimous decision.

After his performance against Jones, many felt that it signified a change of guard at light heavyweight. However, that wasn’t the case as he lost back-to-back fights to former champion Jan Blachowicz and current champion Jiri Prochazka.

Reyes decided to take an extended layoff following the loss to Prochazka in order to fully recover.

‘The Devastator’ is targeting an October return, so a bout with Teixeira seems logical. They are both also coming off losses to the reigning light heavyweight champion under similar circumstances. Reyes and Teixeira had ‘Denisa’ in trouble, but they went for guillotine chokes that cost them in their respective bouts.

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#1 UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka

The UFC 275 main event between Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka was well received by fans. Immediately after the bout, there was debate on whether it was the greatest light heavyweight bout in the promotion’s history.

It was action-packed and saw both fighters have their moments, but it was ‘Denisa’ who was able to finish his opponent.

An immediate rematch shouldn’t necessarily be out of the question. Teixeira was 28-seconds from retaining as the judges had him winning the majority of the rounds. With that in mind, Dana White could award him a rematch because of how impressive he has been, especially at age 42.

Fans will be a deciding factor in whether the former champion receives an immediate rematch. If there’s a strong demand and fans want to see the two compete again, White will likely make it happen. It was a very competitive main event, so a rematch could generate more pay-per-view buys.