Glover Teixeira might hang up his gloves in 2022.
The UFC light heavyweight champion is scheduled to defend his belt against Jiri Prochazka in Singapore at UFC 275 on June 11, and revealed his “perfect plan” includes entering the octagon one final time later this year.
” The perfect plan is to win this fight. This is what I am focusing on.” Teixeira said Mundo da Luta ,”And fighting one final time in November in New York. New York is near where I live for 20 many years and my gym. This would be my final fight. That’s what I’m thinking right now.”
With a winning streak of six fights, including stops over Thiago Santos, Jan Blachowicz and Anthony Smith respectively, Teixeira should have 42 fighting experience if everything goes according to plan. At the moment, there are no UFC events in New York.
” I’ll be 43 by November,” he stated. “Regardless of being at the top, being the best of the world or not, I wanna stop this year. It will probably be my last year. Although I do not want to make that decision right after the fight, it is something I have been contemplating for some time. I don’t wanna retire like [Henry] Cejudo, who keeps asking for a fight all the time. I want to retire and stay cool.
“I think that’s the perfect plan. The perfect plan is to retire with the belt this year, but we have a lot to do. We have to see if it could be in New York, and I still have to beat a guy that is tough as hell. That’s my idea.”
It’s still up in the air who’s next for the 205-pound belt after UFC 275. If Teixeira is successful in his title defense in Singapore, the company could book a rematch with Blachowicz, who recently emerged victorious against Aleksandar Rakic, or the winner of Anthony Smith vs. Magomed Ankalaev, which goes down July 30 at UFC 277.
