Teixeira and 'Shogun' Rua set for boxing match at Spaten Fight Night 3 on Aug. 29

Former UFC light heavyweight champions Glover Teixeira and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua will headline Spaten Fight Night 3 on August 29 in a boxing match contested over eight rounds of two minutes each. The bout marks the latest high-profile pairing for the Brazilian promotion, which has built its identity around marquee matchups between combat sports legends.

Spaten Fight Night launched with a boxing contest between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva, an event widely criticised for its lack of action and engagement. The second edition swung sharply in the other direction when Wanderlei Silva’s bout with Acelino ‘Popo’ Freitas descended into a post-fight brawl that ended with Silva being knocked out in the melee. Organisers have framed the Teixeira–Rua matchup as a deliberate course correction: two fiercely competitive fighters who nonetheless hold genuine mutual respect.

Beyond the headline bout, the card expands the promotion’s scope by adding super fights in judo and jiu-jitsu — two disciplines with deep roots and large followings in Brazil. Brazilian Olympic judo champions Bia Sousa and Rafaela Silva are both scheduled to compete, facing international rivals Prisca Awiti and Raz Hershko respectively. The jiu-jitsu card features a grudge match between multi-time world champions Felipe ‘Preguiça’ Pena and Nicholas Meregali.

The inclusion of Olympic judo represents a notable step for the promotion. Brazil has a long and decorated history in the sport, and the presence of two of the country’s most decorated champions gives the event a crossover appeal that extends well beyond the traditional MMA audience.

Teixeira, 45, last competed in the UFC, where he held the light heavyweight title before losing it to Jiří Procházka in 2022. Rua, 43, is a former PRIDE and UFC champion whose career stretches back more than two decades. Both fighters are well past their prime championship years, but the matchup carries genuine nostalgic weight for fans who followed Brazilian MMA through its formative era.