Thiago Santos Vs. Glover Teixeira Reportedly Set For September UFC Event
Two light heavyweights looking to get back into title contention appear to be ready to clash against one another.
According to ESPN, Thiago Santos is set to return to action against Glover Teixeira. They will reportedly headline a UFC event on September 12, which could very well be inside the UFC’s APEX Center in Las Vegas.
This will be Santos’ (21-7) return to the octagon since losing to Jon Jones at UFC 239 in July 2019. Fighting for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, Santos tore his left LCL, PCL, MCL, ACL, and meniscus in the opening round of the fight. He still made it competitive and just barely lost via split decision. The loss ended a four-fight win streak.
The 36-year-old faces the 40-year-old Teixeira (31-7), who is making waves within the division. Teixeira is on a four-fight win streak and is 5-1 in his last six fights. His last bout was in May, beating Anthony Smith via TKO. Teixeira last fought for the title in 2014, when he lost to Jones via unanimous decision.
Santos, ranked second in the UFC’s light heavyweight rankings, has called for a fight with Dominick Reyes to determine the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion following Jones’ recent arrest for aggravated DWI, negligent use of a weapon and possession of an open container. Now, this fight with Teixeira (#5) may be getting the two closer to a title shot, as Jones called for the UFC to take his title following negotiations regarding pay going south.
This light heavyweight clash joins Roxanne Modafferi v. Andrea Lee as bouts rumored for the September 12 card.