Glover Teixeira Suffered Torn Labrum During UFC 172 Loss To Jon Jones

UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira saw his massive 20-fight win streak go up in smoke in the main event of last Saturday night’s (April 26, 2014) UFC 172 from Baltimore, Maryland.

Losing a one-sided decision to the technical striking expertise of longtime 205-pound champion Jon “Bones” Jones, Teixeira also received a first round shoulder injury thanks to a well-executed elbow crank. He headed in for an MRI to assess the damage this week, and initial reports are looking a bit grim.

Teixeira reportedly suffered a torn labrum in his first loss since 2005, an injury that will require surgery. It’s unknown when the he heavy-handed slugger will return to the cage.

His coach John Hackleman spoke up to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting to discuss the injury, obviously very emotional about what had transpired in the title fight:

“When I found out after the fight about the injury, it broke my heart. Had I known, I probably would have stopped it even though everyone would have hated my guts.

So he just fought on with a torn labrum, swinging. It wasn’t like he was running, he was moving forward and banging. It’s unbelievable to think of going five rounds with Jones like that. And we’re not taking anything away from Jones because he caused the injury. Both the eye and the shoulder. So kudos to Jones for doing that. They are both legal moves. He didn’t try to hurt Glover intentionally, he did what he had to do to win.

“It just shows the mental fortitude and toughness of Glover. It shows what he’s capable of. It made me proud, man.”

Hackleman gave Jones his due for winning the fight, and he made a good point in focusing on Teixeira’s toughness. The challenger also had his eyebrow split open by a brutal third round elbow from “Bones,” but he never gave up despite the mounting injuries.

It’s impossible to say if Teixeira would have fared much better without the injury, because he appeared to be getting outclassed by Jones in all facets of MMA. However, with his thunderous power sapped, it most likely had a significant effect on the bout.

Regardless, Teixeira will be on the sidelines for a lengthy amount of time. A litany of interesting light heavyweight challenges will await the Chuck Liddell-trained protégé when he comes back.

Photo: Tommy Gilligan for USA TODAY Sports