Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua says his upcoming eight-round boxing match against Glover Teixeira at Spaten Fight Night 3 in São Paulo will likely be the final bout of his career. The former UFC and PRIDE champion came out of retirement specifically for the matchup, telling MMA Fighting, 'I think it's the last one.' Rua and Teixeira both retired from MMA on the same night at UFC 283 in January 2023.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has signaled that his upcoming boxing match against fellow Brazilian legend Glover Teixeira will almost certainly be the last fight of his storied career. The eight-round bout is set for Spaten Fight Night 3 in São Paulo, and Rua told MMA Fighting plainly, "I think it's the last one."
Rua is one of the most decorated fighters in mixed martial arts history, a former UFC light heavyweight champion and PRIDE Grand Prix titleholder whose career spanned two decades and multiple combat sports promotions. He came out of MMA retirement specifically for this boxing matchup, adding a final, unusual chapter to a legacy built almost entirely inside the cage.
Glover Teixeira, 46, brings a similarly distinguished résumé to the São Paulo event. The orthodox-stance Brazilian holds a professional MMA record of 33 wins and 9 losses and competed for years as one of the light heavyweight division's most dangerous finishers. Standing six-foot-two with a 76-inch reach, Teixeira was known for his well-rounded pressure style, averaging 3.73 significant strikes landed per minute at 49 percent accuracy while also threatening opponents on the ground with more than two takedowns per 15 minutes and nearly one submission attempt per 15 minutes.
The two share a unique bond in MMA history: both men walked away from the sport on the same night, retiring after their respective bouts at UFC 283 in January 2023. Their reunion in a boxing ring in São Paulo frames this contest as something of a farewell tour for two fighters who defined an era of the 205-pound division.
Why it matters
- Both fighters retired from MMA on the same night at UFC 283, giving this matchup a shared-farewell quality rarely seen in combat sports.
- The bout is contested under boxing rules over eight rounds, a format distinct from either man's primary career discipline.
- If Rua's comments prove accurate, Spaten Fight Night 3 will mark the official end of a career that included UFC and PRIDE championship gold.
