Glover Teixeira had a strong feeling his punching power would be too much for Mauricio Rua to handle in their boxing match, and that ended up being the reality.
Former UFC light heavyweight champions and octagon legends clashed in Brazil on Saturday in a professional bout at Spaten Fight Night 3 in Sao Paulo. It was a one-sided affair, with Teixeira dominating UFC Hall of Famer Rua over the course of eight rounds to claim a unanimous decision win.
Teixeira hurt "Shogun" badly in the early rounds and scored a knockdown. Rua was able to beat the count but never found his way back into the fight as Teixeira applied stead pressure and output en route to scorecards of 79-72, 79-72, 80-71.
Glover Teixeira dropped Shogun Rua early en route to a DOMINANT
decision win at #SpatenFightNight3 🎥 @guicruzzz pic.twitter.com/xU9rvgsrrZ
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) August 30, 2026
Teixeira, 46, competed for the first time in a striking-related combat sports since hanging up his gloves in his final MMA fight in January 2023. He told MMA Junkie prior to Spaten Fight Night 3 that he would consider taking more opportunities going forward.
For Rua, 44, meanwhile, the iconic longtime light heavyweight indicated this would be his final venture into a combat competition.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: Glover Teixeira drops UFC Hall of Famer 'Shogun' Rua, wins decision
