Former UFC light heavyweight champions Glover Teixeira and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will clash in a boxing match in Brazil, Spaten Fight Night announced Wednesday.
The two retired MMA fighters, who have 38 knockout wins combined in MMA, will headline their third show in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Aug. 29. The match will be contested at heavyweight (under 242 pounds) and have eight two-minute rounds.
Teixeira (33-9 in MMA) ended his UFC career in January 2023 after coming up short in his attempt to regain the title in Rio de Janeiro, losing a decision to Jamahal Hill. That was his first fight back from a thrilling war with Jiri Prochazka seven months prior.
Teixeira remained active in the MMA world as a coach, leading Alex Pereira to winning the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight titles and now preparing to challenge Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House on June 14.
Teixeira competed in amateur boxing matches prior to starting his MMA career in 2002, joining the UFC a decade later to score knockouts over the likes of Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans and Patrick Cummins.
Rua (33-9 in MMA) retired from MMA the same night Teixeira last fought in the UFC, losing to Ihor Potieria. The PRIDE legend walked away from the UFC with a promotional record of 11-12, a run that includes knockouts against former champions Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Lyoto Machida.
The prime of “Shogun’s” career happened inside the PRIDE ring between 2003 and 2007, where the Chute Boxe became a star for his highlight-reel finishes of Alistair Overeem (twice), Ricardo Arona, Rampage Jackson and the epic battle with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Spaten Fight Night previously announced a pair of judo matches for the card featuring Olympic gold medalists Rafaela Silva and Beatriz Souza. Silva will meet 2024 Olympic silver medalist Prisca Awiti, while Souza rematches her Olympic final foe Raz Hershko.
This will mark Spaten Fight Night’s first card since September 2025, when a brawl broke out between cornermen and friends of both headliners Wanderlei Silva and Acelino Freitas, ending with Silva knocked unconscious by Freitas’ son Rafael Freitas. Silva lost the bout by DQ after multiple fouls.
Read the full article here
