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Glover Teixeira is a man who refuses to quit.
That one word—quit—is an ugly combination of four letters. It represents the complete opposite of the way he lives his life.
“My goal is to take over the world and have fun doing it,” says Teixeira. “You cannot be lazy if you want to accomplish your goals. That’s not the way I live. You can’t quit. You need to work hard. When you do the right thing, you get tremendous results.”
Teixeira was a step closer to reaching a new tier of greatness last June at UFC 275. Making his first-ever title defense of the light heavyweight championship in a bout against Jiri Prochazka, Teixeira showcased the heart, soul, and determination of a champion. His execution was pristine, and he was even willing to pay the cost for victory—absorbing brutal strikes from Prochazka in order to set up his jiu-jitsu. Yet, a mere 60 seconds away from the epic bout becoming his signature win, Prochazka locked in a rear-naked choke. With only 28 seconds left before a certain victory, Teixeira—a man with no quit—tapped out. His greatest moment in the cage, in the middle of a bloody, violent masterpiece of a fight, would forever be chalked up as a loss.
All the accolades and praise, deservedly so, went to Prochazka. Teixeira was left to lament what might have been.
“I want to be the best in the world,” says Teixeira (33-8). “That’s what I wanted that night. I was winning the fight. Then I got choked out.”
Teixeira may have lost that fight, but he remains a winner in his daily approach and tenacity. The 43-year-old will bring that undeniable, unrelenting fighting spirit into the octagon Saturday at UFC 283, where he challenges Jamahal Hill for the vacant light heavyweight title.
“I still believe I’m the best in the world, and I am going to prove it,” says Teixeira. “Being the best, being the champion, that takes a lot. You have to really dig deep. I’ve been there once. That’s my goal: get back to the top of the world.”
Hill (11-1, 1 NC) carries ferocious power, and he has won his last three fights by knockout. But it has been a long time since Teixeira was knocked out—six years and 10 fights ago, to be exact—and he is prepared to counter Hill’s power with his nearly unstoppable jiu-jitsu.
“I had six weeks to train for Jamahal, and I’m really happy with the results,” says Teixeira. “I’m ready for five rounds, but I don’t want a long fight. I want to finish him as soon as I can.”
For Teixeira, there is even more at stake in this fight than a second reign with the title. This is an opportunity to show he is the best in the world, one he refuses to let slip away.
“I am fighting with the best in the world, competing at something I love to do,” says Teixeira. “I believe I am the best. Now I get to go out and prove it.”
