ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Glover Teixeira scored a sensational submission victory over Poland’s Jan Blachowicz to be crowned UFC light heavyweight champion at the age of 42 at UFC 267 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Teixeira used his wrestling to win the first round and both men landed heavy punches in the second before the Brazilian brought Blachowicz down to the mat and trapped him against the fence.
The Brazilian quickly took his opponent’s back before applying a rear naked choke that forced a quick submission from the Pole at 3:02 mark of round two.
“I’m breaking the rules at 42 years old, and I’m gonna keep breaking those rules,” Teixeira said in a post-fight interview. The only UFC champion older than Teixeira is former fighter Randy Couture, who was heavyweight champ at the age of 45.
In the co-main event, Russian former champion Petr Yan claimed the interim bantamweight title after a thrilling back-and-forth battle over five rounds with American Cory Sandhagen that resulted in a decision victory.
Yan lost the belt to Aljamain Sterling in March 2021 when he was disqualified for an illegal knee to the head, and he is expected to get a rematch for the undisputed crown when Sterling returns from a neck injury.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor)
