At 39-years-old, former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Glover Teixeira knows he’s not as young as he once was. He can’t step into the cage with reckless abandonment and swing for the fences anymore. The Brazilian only competed once in 2018 due to injury. That fight was a loss to Corey Anderson via unanimous decision in July. He was forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Jimi Manuwa the following September after suffering a shoulder injury.
Now, Teixeira is scheduled to make his return at UFC on ESPN+ 1. He will be facing Ion Cutelaba from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on January 19th. Given his recent injury, Teixeira will begin taking a much more different approach to his fights. He will lean on the side of caution against Cutelaba, as Teixeira himself acknowledges he simply can’t go in and ‘just bang it out’ anymore (via MMA Junkie):
“We have to deal with certain situations in our careers,” Teixeira said. “I was injured and couldn’t fight. I last fought with a slight problem in my shoulder, I underwent intense physical therapy. My shoulder is a lot better now, compared to when I fought Corey Anderson. That’s how it goes.
“We have to deal with small injuries that get worse as time goes by. It’s important to have the right strategy. I can’t commit to things or fight like I used to. I can’t just bang it out, I have to be more intelligent in training and in fighting.”
What do you make of Teixeira’s comments?
