While former fighter Glover Teixeira sometimes longs for the thrill of the ring, he is otherwise settled into retirement, instead focusing his energy on his friend Alex Pereira. This new stage of Glover’s life began in January when he retired after losing his title in a unanimous decision against Jamahal Hill at UFC 283. This loss represented a second consecutive title loss for Teixeira, following a defeat in a thrilling match against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275 last year.
Since his retirement, Teixeira has shifted his focus and has been serving as coach and mentor to Pereira, who recently scored his second UFC title win within a year. As Pereira prepared for his light heavyweight championship victory over Prochazka at UFC 295, Teixeira conveyed his nostalgia for the ring. Nevertheless, he recognizes the realities of aging and remains resolved in his retirement despite his occasional yearning for his past fighting life.
Opting to remain retired was a decision primarily driven by Teixeira’s understanding of the inevitable impacts of aging on his performance. Despite this, he confidently believes that his younger self could have easily triumphed over his last two contenders. However, instead of dwelling on these reflections, Teixeira has chosen to wholly focus on Pereira, whom he believes possesses the ability to exceed his own achievements. This belief in Pereira’s potential resulted in Teixeira investing all his efforts and resources into his training, a decision that has thus far proved fruitful according to the former champ.