Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira Booked For UFC 266 On September 4
The light heavyweight championship matchup between defending gold holder, Jan Blachowicz and veteran Brazilian finisher, Glover Teixeira is scheduled to take place at UFC 266 on September 4. As of writing, the promotion is yet to determine a venue or location for the pay-per-view showcase.
Claiming the vacant light heavyweight championship in devastating fashion last September at UFC 243 with a second-round knockout win over Dominick Reyes, Blachowicz took home a unanimous decision success against current middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya at UFC 259 in March — handing the City Kickboxing mainstay his first professional loss.
In the midst of a career resurgence that has seen him notch five victories on the bounce, 41-year-old veteran, Teixeira headlined UFC Vegas 13 last September against Thiago Santos. Rallying from an earlier knockdown and some real adversity, Teixeira submitted his compatriot with a rear-naked choke to claim the number-one contender rank at 205-pounds. UFC president, Dana White confirmed the booking to ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto.
Also enjoying a five-fight winning spree, Blachowicz prevented the aforenoted, Adesanya from becoming a two-weight champion held simultaneously back in March, utilizing some shrewd wrestling and top-heavy grappling in the championship rounds to score a judging victory.
A former KSW light heavyweight champion as well, the 38-year-old Cieszyn native had lodged prior successes against upcoming Bellator light heavyweight Grand Prix participant, Corey Anderson, as well as former Strikeforce middleweight titleholders, Jacare Souza, and Luke Rockhold — the latter of which in particularly brutal fashion, breaking the Santa Cruz native’s jaw with a second-round knockout.
A twenty-one-year professional, Teixeira who plys his trade under John Hackleman and Steve Mocco has scored a whopping eighteen separate knockout wins across his thirty-nine fight career, to go along with nine other submission successes.
Debuting in the UFC back in May of 2012, the Brazilian has bested the likes of Fabio Maldonado, Rampage Jackson, Ryan Bader, Ovince Saint-Preux, Rashad Evans, Jared Cannonier, Misha Cirukunov, Anthony Smith, and the aforenoted trio of Rockhold, Souza, and Santos.
