It has been the best part of seven years since Glover Teixeira challenged Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title but now at the age of 41, the Brazilian is getting another bite at the cherry.
Teixeira has won six of his last seven at 205-pounds, including most recently when he defeated former title challenger Thiago Santos by rear-naked choke submission last November, and the veteran fighter says that working his way to a world title shot at this stage of his career is evidence that “hard work pays off”.
Hard work pays off I’m so happy and ready September 4 UFC light heavy weight champion
— glover teixeira (@gloverteixeira) April 14, 2021
“Hard work pays off,” he wrote on Twitter. “I’m so happy and ready. September 4 UFC light heavyweight champion.”
It will be easier said than done, however. Champion Jan Blachowicz has been a surprise package at 205-pounds and proved the odds wrong when he ended the undefeated streak of middleweight king Israel Adesanya last month when the ‘Last Stylebender’ moved up a weight class in pursuit of a second world title.
The bout will likely serve as the main event of UFC 266 which is scheduled for September 4, just over a month before Texeira’s 42nd birthday.
