🚨 GLOVER TEIXEIRA REVEALS WHAT IT WAS LIKE FIGHTING PRIME JON JONES Glover Teixeira says Jon Jones was the only opponent he fought where he felt like he couldn't land anything meaningful. But after their fight, Jones told Glover that one of his kicks had actually hurt his rib and called it a strong kick. Glover's reaction? “What? If I knew that, I would kick more.” 😂 Glover also recalled Jones wrenching his arm in the first round, which tore his labrum. According to Glover, Jones was so relaxed because he could dominate the fight without needing to open up and risk himself. Via @mighty Prime Jon Jones: unbeatable or just impossible to read? 🤔 UNBEATABLE / IMPOSSIBLE TO READ #ufc #mma #jonjones #ufcnews #mmanews
Glover Teixeira has opened up about what it was like sharing the octagon with a prime Jon Jones, describing the experience as unlike any other fight in his long career — and the only one where he felt unable to land anything that truly mattered.
Speaking in a recent interview, Teixeira recalled struggling to make an impact throughout the bout, only to learn afterward that Jones had actually felt one of his kicks land hard enough to hurt a rib. Jones reportedly complimented the kick, prompting Teixeira to joke that had he known, he would have thrown more of them. Teixeira also described Jones wrenching his arm in the first round, an incident that tore his labrum. In his telling, Jones was so in control that he never needed to fully open up or take risks, staying relaxed while dictating the fight from start to finish.
Teixeira, now 46, holds a professional record of 33 wins and 9 losses and has built one of the most respected careers in light heavyweight history. The Brazilian representative of Teixeira MMA and Fitness stands six-foot-two with a 76-inch reach, and his numbers reflect a relentless pressure style — averaging 3.73 significant strikes landed per minute at 49 percent accuracy, while recording 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career.
Jones, 39, carries a record of 28-1-0 and remains one of the most analytically dominant fighters the sport has produced. Standing six-foot-four with an 84-inch reach, he lands 4.38 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 58 percent — well above the sport's elite average — while also averaging 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Teixeira's account adds rare first-person texture to how physically and mentally overwhelming Jones was at his peak
- The labrum injury detail speaks to how quickly Jones could impose structural damage, even against durable, experienced opposition
- Jones's reported composure — dominating without fully committing — underlines the strategic intelligence behind his physical gifts
