Brazilian MMA Legends Put On Spirited Boxing Match, What's Next For Winner?

Teixeira-Shogun

Credit: SPATEN

Glover Teixeira pounded Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on Saturday night in boxing match between two Brazilian MMA legends. Teixeira dropped Shogun en route to an easy unanimous decision win in the eight-round fight. When it was over, it was clear which fighter still has gas left in their combat sports tank and which one probably shouldn't compete in any more striking competitions. Let's talk combat sports.

Here's highlights from the fight.

Teixeira Vs. Rua: Key FactsDetailInfoResultGlover Teixeira by unanimous decisionEventSpaten Fight Night 3DateSaturday, August 29, 2026VenueMercado Livre Arena Pacaembu, São PauloRulesetBoxingRoundsEight, two minutes eachDivisionSuper heavyweight, 110 kg limitTeixeira's cornerAlex "Poatan" PereiraBroadcastRede GloboRetirementRua said he expected this to be his lastWhat Happened

Alex Pereira worked Teixeira's corner, which tells you how seriously the winner took a booking most people wrote off as a legends exhibition.

The bout ran eight rounds at two minutes each, contested at a super heavyweight limit of 110 kilograms. Both men retired from MMA on the same card in January 2023.

Rua said before the fight that he expected it to be his last.

What Each Man Said

• Teixeira credited Pereira in the corner with keeping him composed
• Mauricio Rua said his Muay Thai base made the switch to boxing easier
• Rua also said the hard part was concentrating on not kicking
• Rua had already framed the bout as his final competition
• Teixeira praised the pair's training partnership

Spaten Fight Night 3 Full Card ResultsBoutDisciplineResultMauricio Rua vs. Glover TeixeiraBoxing, super heavyweightTeixeira, unanimous decisionLuan Medeiros vs. Juan Cruz UncoBoxing, Latin American titleResult pendingBeatriz Souza vs. Raz HershkoJudo, heavyweightResult pendingRafaela Silva vs. Prisca Awiti AlcarazJudo, middleweightResult pendingFelipe Preguiça vs. Nicholas MeregaliNo-gi jiu-jitsuPreguiça, decision 29-28What's Next For Teixeira

You have to wonder if Teixeira has an appetite for more opportunities to compete. Two options pop out to me. The first is a spot on either a Misfits Boxing or Dirty Boxing card. Teixeira still possesses heavy hands and natural fighting instincts. With the right matchup, he could perform well. Also, with the rise of bare knuckle boxing, Teixeira could be a good fit in BKB or BKFC.

BKB 58 featured their heavyweight champion, Gustavo Trujillo successfully defending his title against Mick Terrill in the main event in Miami. I was in the building at the James L. Knight Center and there was a buzz in the air. Former two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, Yuriorkis Gamboa fought as did Roberto Duran Jr. Could Teixeira slid into a fight with Trujillo or maybe even young heavyweight BK star, Jesse Sparks? It's a thought and there's definitely money to be made.

We'll see what opportunities Teixeira is offered after his win over Shogun. As for Rua, I hope this is the last time we see him compete in anything besides a BJJ or RAF competition. I don't want to see the legend take any more punishment from strikes.

READ MORE

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This article was originally published on Forbes.com