Shogun Rua reverses retirement stance to demand Teixeira rematch after boxing defeat

Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua reversed his pre-fight retirement pledge within days of losing a boxing decision to Glover Teixeira at Spaten Fight Night in São Paulo on Saturday, posting a social media video calling for an immediate rematch. The bout marked the first time either UFC legend had competed since both retired from the promotion in January 2023.

Rua had told MMA Fighting before the fight that he expected to retire regardless of the result. The contest itself, however, appeared to change his mind. ‘Because a true warrior never gives up,’ Rua said in the video. ‘I think the fairest thing would be a rematch, Glover and I on the next Spaten event, because it was an absolute war. He dropped me in the second round. Glover was really rocked in the fifth round. I think I deserve that rematch.’

Former teammate and fellow UFC legend Anderson Silva responded in the comments of Rua’s Instagram post, advising him to step away from striking sports altogether. ‘Do it with the gi,’ Silva wrote. ‘Jiu-jitsu is safer, brother. You have nothing to prove to anyone, you have a lot of history.’

Teixeira, for his part, is not short of options heading into 2027. The former UFC light heavyweight champion expressed interest in a boxing match against Alexander Gustafsson — whose team confirmed to MMA Fighting they are open to the fight — and also mentioned a potential charity bout with Jan Blachowicz in a post-fight interview.

‘Let’s keep training and see what’s happening,’ Teixeira told MMA Fighting on Saturday. ‘Three and a half years out, maybe a little ring rust, maybe going too much, but I think now, if I have a fight in the next six months or so, maybe I’ll be better.’

Whether Teixeira accepts Rua’s rematch call or pursues one of his other options remains to be seen, but Saturday’s fight has clearly done little to cool the competitive instincts of either man.