Teixeira On Gustafsson Boxing Match After Rua Win

Glover Teixeira wants a boxing rematch with Alexander Gustafsson after stopping Mauricio Shogun Rua over eight rounds Saturday night in Sao Paulo.

Teixeira rocked Rua repeatedly and scored a knockdown in the heavyweight main event at Spaten Fight Night 3, cruising to a decision in his boxing debut. When asked about a potential bout with Gustafsson — whose team told MMA Fighting before the card they would be interested in facing the winner — Teixeira gave an immediate answer. "One hundred percent," he said, per MMA Fighting. "Like I say, I just come back today and I felt good. Whatever fights that make sense, I'll be fighting."

What A Gustafsson Rematch Would Mean For Teixeira

Gustafsson stopped Teixeira via fifth-round knockout at UFC Fight Night 109 in 2017, a win that earned the Swede a second title shot against Jon Jones. Teixeira joked during fight week that he wanted easier opponents after Rua, but admitted Saturday's performance proved he can still compete with former UFC contenders. He acknowledged some ring rust after three and a half years out of action but said a bout in the next six months would give him time to sharpen up.

Rua survived the full distance despite being hurt multiple times, which surprised even his opponent. "I thought I was gonna finish with a knockout, but I knew Shogun was as tough as can be, man," Teixeira said. He landed a knockdown in the third round and expected a stoppage by the sixth, but said he tried too hard and his power punches slowed. Rua connected with one shot that made Teixeira think twice, but nothing threatened to turn the fight.

Teixeira said he saw all of Rua's punches clearly and was happy with his performance after a hard camp. Gustafsson has not publicly commented on a timeline, but Teixeira says he is ready to fight again in 2027.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Glover Teixeira likes boxing match with Alexander Gustafsson after dominant win over Shogun Rua