Teixeira beats Rua was the story of the night at Spaten Fight Night 3 as former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira delivered a dominant performance against fellow MMA icon Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in their eight-round boxing main event on Saturday in São Paulo, Brazil.
Competing for the first time in more than three years, Teixeira proved he still has plenty left in the tank. The 46-year-old controlled the action from start to finish, overwhelming Rua with relentless pressure, crisp combinations, and damaging body work en route to a unanimous decision victory.
The judges scored the bout 79-72, 79-72, and 80-71 in favor of Teixeira.Teixeira wasted little time imposing his will on the former UFC and PRIDE champion. He pinned Rua against the ropes from the opening round and unleashed a steady stream of punches to the body and head.
While Rua attempted to answer with looping power shots, few landed cleanly enough to slow Teixeira’s momentum.
Late in the opening round, Teixeira landed a perfectly timed punch that snapped Rua’s head back and briefly appeared to stun him just before the bell.
The damage continued in the second round when Teixeira scored the fight’s lone knockdown. A barrage of punches forced Rua backward before he eventually crashed to the canvas.
To his credit, Rua beat the count and survived the round, earning a crucial minute to recover.
From that point on, Teixeira beats Rua became increasingly inevitable.
Teixeira repeatedly trapped Rua along the ropes and unloaded combinations while mixing in punishing body shots. Every time Rua found an opening and landed a punch, Teixeira barely seemed affected and immediately returned fire.
By the fifth round, Teixeira began to slow slightly, allowing Rua to connect with some of his best punches of the fight. However, any hopes of a late comeback quickly faded.
Teixeira found a second wind in the sixth round and established a sharp jab that repeatedly snapped Rua’s head backward. He continued piling up damage while maintaining control of the contest.
Despite absorbing heavy punishment throughout the fight, Rua refused to quit. The Brazilian legend continued firing back whenever opportunities presented themselves, showing the same toughness that defined his Hall of Fame MMA career.
In the seventh round, Teixeira nearly secured a stoppage after landing a series of hard punches that visibly hurt Rua. The finish appeared close, but the bell arrived before Teixeira could close the show.
Teixeira continued hunting for the knockout in the final round, but Rua once again survived and made it to the scorecards.
After eight entertaining rounds, the result was never in doubt.Teixeira beats Rua in convincing fashion and adds another memorable chapter to a career that already includes UFC championship gold and victories over some of the sport’s biggest names.
Speaking before the event, Rua suggested this would likely be the final fight of his combat sports career.
“I think it’s the last one,” Rua said ahead of the bout. “I think I’ve fought the best in the world. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I think this is the last one.”
