Teixeira dominates Shogun Rua on boxing debut and calls for Gustafsson rematch in 2027

Glover Teixeira announced himself as a credible boxing crossover act on Saturday night, dominating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua over eight rounds at Spaten Fight Night 3 in São Paulo to claim a decision victory in his boxing debut — then called out Alexander Gustafsson for a rematch under boxing rules in 2027.

Teixeira rocked Rua repeatedly throughout their heavyweight main event, scoring a knockdown in the third round, and appeared to be on course for a stoppage before Rua’s durability forced the fight to the cards. The former UFC light heavyweight champion admitted he may have overreached in his pursuit of a finish.

“I knocked him down in the third, I think, and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s just gonna be out probably in sixth round,’ but I think I tried too much,” Teixeira told MMA Fighting. “I tried too hard. I saw that my hard punch was getting slower, and I paced myself a little bit.”

Despite the decision, Teixeira was broadly satisfied with a performance that came after more than three years away from competition. “That was my goal, to have a good performance,” he said. “I saw everything. I saw his punches, it wasn’t hurting me or anything. I trained hard for it. And I’m happy with the performance.”

Gustafsson’s team had signalled before the event that they would be interested in boxing the winner of Saturday’s bout, and Teixeira was receptive. “One hundred percent,” he said when asked about the prospect. “Whatever fights that make sense, I’ll be fighting.”

The two men have unfinished business from their MMA careers: Gustafsson stopped Teixeira via fifth-round knockout in the UFC in 2017, a result that earned the Swede a rematch with Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title. A boxing meeting would give Teixeira the chance to settle the score on different terms.

Teixeira acknowledged that ring rust was a factor on Saturday but suggested it would fade quickly with more activity. “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,” he said.

Rua, the former UFC light heavyweight champion and Alex Pereira training partner, absorbed significant punishment throughout but refused to be stopped — a show of resilience that Teixeira said he had anticipated. “I knew Shogun was as tough as can be, man. And the heart, he wouldn’t quit. Incredible. I knew that already, I was ready for that.”

With the win secured and Gustafsson’s camp already circling, a boxing rematch between two MMA legends looks a realistic prospect for 2027.