Glover Teixeira and the Pursuit of Excellence

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Glover Teixeira hears the doubt. In fact, he has heard it for years.

The venerable Brazilian will defend his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title against Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 275 main event on Saturday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Teixeira, 42, unexpectedly rose to power when he submitted Jan Blachowicz with a rear-naked choke and seized control of the 205-pound weight class a little more than seven months ago. Even as the cynics chirped, he stayed focused on his pursuit of excellence.

“It’s a process in which we keep gaining more confidence, fight after fight,” Teixeira told Sherdog.com. “We make some changes to see what’s working. Step by step, we eventually got to the ultimate goal. That’s what happened. With each bout, I keep learning and getting better.”

Overcoming obstacles has become old hat for 40-fight veteran. Teixeira spent much of his prime trying to obtain a visa so he could come to the United States to compete on a full-time basis. He did not make his UFC debut until May 26, 2012. By then, he was already 32 years old.

“My life significantly changed after I got to the UFC,” Teixeira said. “Everyone saw the difficulties I conquered. I always motivate my students by telling them never to give up despite any losses. I lost my first professional bout. It put a fire under me to train more, to get better. It never occurred to me to give up. I had to be persistent, improve, listen to people, be humble and make any necessary changes.”

After relocating to the United States, Teixeira settled in Danbury, Connecticut. He was forced to endure the harsh winters of the American Northeast, where snowfall can sometimes be measured in feet and temperatures often dip into the single digits or lower. Though it was a far cry from the tropical climes to which he was accustomed, it did nothing to slow Teixeira’s progress. In 2014, he opened his own training academy and finally enjoyed the peace of mind he had long sought. Some wondered if it was a sign that his career in the cage was beginning to wind down.

“I followed my intuition,” Teixeira said. “I opened my own gym and decided to do all my training in my own backyard. Some folks felt I was giving up. Usually, a fighter starts at a small gym before moving on. They thought I wanted to remain in my comfort zone. That’s not it at all. Here, I have more stability. I’m near my family and friends. I work happier.

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“Now I get to show everyone the fighter I’ve always been,” he added. “I was always a good fighter. I got a late start [in the UFC] due to paperwork, but that’s life. I’m very happy with my life today. I’m full of gratitude.”

The next mountain could prove to be one of Teixeira’s steepest. Already established as one of MMA’s most violent competitors, Prochazka has rattled off 12 consecutive victories, 11 of them finishes. The 29-year-old Czech has not tasted defeat in more than six years. Prochazka owns a 2-0 record inside the Octagon and nailed down his spot as the No. 1 contender at 205 pounds when he knocked out Dominick Reyes with a spectacular spinning back elbow at UFC on ESPN 23 in May 2021.

“Jiri is good. He’s tough,” said Teixeira, who enters the cage on a six-fight winning streak of his own. “I like these types of challenges. I’m on top of the world, so I have to prove I’m the best in the world. I’m happy with this matchup. I’m focused. I’m training hard. Of course, he has his good and bad attributes as a fighter. Everyone does. I have to remain extra alert, as he’ll be looking to exploit my past mistakes.”

Teixeira has adapted his training methods as he as aged and put new information associated with the dangers of his profession into practice. He participated in the Cleveland Clinic’s study of brain health involving combat sprots athletes in 2014 and continues his support of such research to this day. Teixeira believes the changes have bought him more time.

“The best thing we can do is to teach younger athletes how to train properly to avoid unnecessary blows to the head,” Teixeira said. “At the same time, we can’t train with fear. We avoid injuries during training, but there’s no avoiding it during an actual fight. The worst thing for your brain is heavy training sessions, like boxers used to do. Guys would end up punch-drunk. That was because of daily sparring. You can’t bang it out every day. Today, we train more intelligently.”