Glover Teixeira facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glover Teixeira |
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Teixeira at his training facility in 2019
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| Born | Glover Lucas Teixeira 28 October 1979 Sobrália, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
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| Residence | Danbury, Connecticut, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Brazilian American |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) | ||||||||||||||||
| Division | Light heavyweight | ||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | ||||||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | Bethel, Connecticut, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Team | Teixeira MMA & Fitness | ||||||||||||||||
| Trainer | Fernely Feliz Sr. John Hackleman Steve Mocco |
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| Rank | 8th degree black belt in Kajukenbo under John Hackleman 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Luigi Mondelli |
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| Years active | 2002–2023 | ||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 42 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 33 | ||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 18 | ||||||||||||||||
| By submission | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| By submission | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Glover Lucas Teixeira (born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The UFC is a major organization where fighters compete in mixed martial arts. Teixeira was a UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He is known for being one of the oldest UFC champions in history.
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About Glover Teixeira
Glover Teixeira grew up in a small, rural town called Sobrália in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Many homes there didn't even have electricity. In 1999, he moved to Danbury, Connecticut in the U.S. to help his family. He found a job working in landscaping. In Connecticut, he met his wife, Ingrid.
Glover became interested in fighting after watching famous boxers like Mike Tyson. He also saw early mixed martial arts fighters like UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie and Chuck Liddell. He was inspired to try fighting himself. Even though he had never heard of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he watched videos of early UFC fights that featured Royce Gracie.
After long days of landscaping work, Glover trained in boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A trainer named John Hackleman was impressed by Glover's skills. He invited Glover to train at his gym in California, called The Pit. There, Glover trained with Chuck Liddell. Today, Glover trains and teaches at his own gym, Teixeira MMA & Fitness, in Bethel, Connecticut.
In November 2020, Glover became an American citizen. He said he was proud to represent both Brazil and America.
Glover's Fighting Journey
Glover Teixeira has earned several black belts in different martial arts styles. He holds an 8th Degree Hawaiian Kempo Black Belt from John Hackleman. He also has a 2nd degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Luigi Mondelli. He also earned a Vale Tudo black belt under Marco Ruas.
Joining the UFC
On 21 February 2012, it was announced that Glover Teixeira would join the UFC. He made his first UFC appearance on 26 May 2012 at UFC 146. He won his debut fight quickly by submission in the first round.
Glover continued to win his early UFC fights. He defeated Fábio Maldonado at UFC 153 and then won against former champion Quinton Jackson at UFC on Fox 6. He showed strong boxing and grappling skills in these fights.
He kept his winning streak going by beating James Te Huna at UFC 160. This win earned him a "Submission of the Night" award. Later, he faced Ryan Bader at UFC Fight Night 28 and won by TKO in the first round. This victory earned him a "Knockout of the Night" award and a chance to fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight title.
Glover fought for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Jon Jones at UFC 172 on 26 April 2014. He lost this fight by a decision from the judges. After this, he faced a few tough losses but kept working hard to improve.
He bounced back with impressive wins. He defeated Ovince Saint Preux by submission in August 2015, earning a "Fight of the Night" bonus. He also won against Patrick Cummins and then scored a big knockout win over Rashad Evans in April 2016, which earned him a "Performance of the Night" bonus.
Glover continued to face top fighters. He won against Jared Cannonier in February 2017 and Misha Cirkunov in December 2017. In 2019, he had two submission wins against Karl Roberson and Ion Cuțelaba, earning another "Performance of the Night" award for the latter. He also won a close fight against Nikita Krylov.
In May 2020, Glover had a tough fight against Anthony Smith and won by TKO in the fifth round, showing his amazing endurance. This earned him another "Performance of the Night" bonus. He then defeated Thiago Santos by submission in November 2020.
Becoming UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Glover Teixeira got another chance to fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Jan Błachowicz at UFC 267 on 30 October 2021. Glover won the fight by submission in the second round, becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion! This was a special moment because, at 42 years old, he became the oldest first-time champion in UFC history. He also received a "Performance of the Night" award for this win.
He defended his title against Jiří Procházka at UFC 275 on 11 June 2022. It was a very exciting and close fight, but Glover lost his title by submission in the fifth round. This fight was so good that it earned both fighters a "Fight of the Night" award and was named "Fight of the Year" by many.
Glover was scheduled for a rematch with Jiří Procházka in December 2022, but Procházka had to pull out due to injury. The title became vacant. Glover then fought Jamahal Hill for the vacant title at UFC 283 on 21 January 2023. He lost the fight by decision after five rounds. After this fight, Glover announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. This fight also earned a "Fight of the Night" award.
Professional Grappling Career
Even after retiring from MMA, Glover Teixeira still competed in grappling. On 29 June 2023, he competed against Anthony Smith in a grappling match at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4 and won by decision.
Glover's Community Work
Glover Teixeira has used his fame to help others and support important causes.
In May 2013, he spoke to lawmakers in Connecticut to help legalize and regulate Mixed Martial Arts in the state. He wanted to be able to compete in his home state.
In November 2013, Glover attended the UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 event. This event helped raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. This fund supports military personnel who have been severely wounded and their families.
In February 2014, Glover visited the United States Capital in Washington D.C. He met with Senators John McCain and Harry Reid. He supported research into how combat sports affect the human brain. This research helps make fighting safer for athletes.
In October 2014, Glover took part in the 'Pink Bra' tour. This event raised money for breast cancer research and early detection. He was happy to help his community in Danbury.
In 2016, Glover received the "2016 American Dream Leadership Award" from the New American Dream Foundation. He thanked Danbury for helping him become the fighter he is.
In 2022, Glover visited The Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. He brought toys and smiles to children during the holiday season. He joined other UFC members in fun activities like jumping jack and push-up contests.
Achievements and Awards
Glover Teixeira has achieved many great things in his fighting career:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- He earned "Performance of the Night" awards four times.
- He earned "Knockout of the Night" once.
- He earned "Submission of the Night" once.
- He earned "Fight of the Night" awards four times.
- He holds the record for the most post-fight bonuses in UFC Light Heavyweight history (10).
- He has the most finishes (13) and most submissions (7) in UFC Light Heavyweight history.
- He has the second most wins (16) in the UFC Light Heavyweight division.
- Other Awards
- He won the Shooto South America 220-pound Championship.
- His fights have been named "Fight of the Year" by various sports organizations in 2022, especially his fight against Jiří Procházka.
- He was recognized as "Newcomer of the Year" by UFC.com in 2012.
- He won "Comeback of the Year" awards in 2020.
See also
In Spanish: Glover Teixeira para niños
- List of male mixed martial artists
