At Brazil's biggest event, Spaten Fight Night 3

Shogun says: 'Neither of us has the edge in boxing'

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (left) and Glover Teixeira [Getty Images]
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (left) and Glover Teixeira [Getty Images]

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, 44, and Glover Teixeira, 46 — both former UFC light heavyweight champions from Brazil — are set to meet in a boxing match.

The two will headline Spaten Fight Night 3 on Aug. 29 in São Paulo, Brazil, competing under boxing rules.

Spaten Fight Night, sponsored by the German beer brand Spaten, held its first and second editions in Brazil in 2024 and 2025. The event is a mixed-combat showcase that has hosted world title boxing bouts alongside MMA contests.

The two fighters share a striking number of similarities. Both are Brazilian, both held the UFC light heavyweight title, and their records are nearly identical — Rua stands at 27-14 (41 fights) while Teixeira is 33-9 (42 fights). They even retired in the same month: January 2023. Teixeira has since become a familiar face in the sport as a coach to Alex Pereira.

Despite their parallel careers, the two never crossed paths inside the UFC. Rua joined the promotion in 2007 and became its 11th light heavyweight champion in 2009, while Teixeira entered in 2012 and captured the 16th title in 2022 — their peaks and valleys never aligned enough to produce a matchup.

Rua told MMA Fighting that he had long expected the fight to happen inside the UFC. "Honestly, I always thought I'd fight Glover in the UFC, but instead we're having a boxing match at Spaten, which has become Brazil's biggest event," he said. "Ultimately, the fact that it's not happening in the UFC but at Spaten is actually a good thing. It will be a new experience for the fans."

A matchup between the two was briefly pursued back in 2012. At the time, Rua was looking to rebuild after losing his belt to Jon Jones, while Teixeira had just joined the UFC that year. Rua, a top-five ranked contender, had little interest in facing an unranked opponent, and Teixeira was equally unenthusiastic about fighting a fellow Brazilian. The bout ultimately fell through.

Rua predicted a closely contested fight. "If it were Muay Thai, I might have the edge; if it were jiu-jitsu, he might," he said. "But in boxing, I don't think either of us is better than the other."

He made clear, however, that a decision finish was unlikely. "Anyone who knows me knows I always go for the KO," Rua said. "Glover always goes for the KO too. No matter who's fighting, heavyweight bouts rarely go to the judges."


yjc@heraldcorp.com