In his career thus far, Glover Teixeira has blasted 17 opponents to knockout victories, displaying some of the heaviest strikes the 205 lb division has ever seen. And it’s this striking, or more importantly the power he has behind his punches and kicks, that has made him a fan favorite amongst the MMA faithful. 

Striking with opponents when you’re primarily a grappler is a trend that has grown exponentially in recent years. However, what you usually find with grapplers who suddenly believe they’re K-1 kickboxers or Muay Thai specialists is they become brawlers with no technique, throwing caution to the wind in search of a much sought after knockout.

Teixeira bucks the trend though; he may stay in the pocket and trade, but he’s no thoughtless brawler. The technique and the skills are there for all to see, and, as he reveals here, it’s something he is very proud of. “After the Sokoudjou fight [WEC 24, 2006] where I knocked him out, I said to myself, ‘You know what, I can strike too.’

“My striking has got so much better over the years and that’s what people enjoy. You can’t fight your opponent’s fight, you have to fight your own and defeat him wherever it goes.”

He adds: “I want to learn how to strike even more because that’s what the fans want and that’s what they like. However, when you’re striking and you’re stringing combinations together, that’s when you can utilize other things. You’ll be striking and you’ll see an opportunity to take him down, then you can throw some ground ‘n’ pound, and so on.”

So how is Teixeira able to generate the devastating power he has become known for? Well, according to him, it’s a mix of power training and genetics. “We do some power work, but John told me that when it comes to knockout power you either have it or you don’t,” he says, looking down at his clenched fists. 

“You can work on it a little bit, and do exercises that are going to help you. But I tend to work on a lot of technique when it comes to generating power by practicing power hooks, making sure I turn my hip in the right way on the bags.

“When people ask who the better boxer was between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, for sure Ali was the better boxer. But Foreman was way more powerful. I think you either have it, or you don’t.”

And just because Teixeira has focused mostly on his weakest areas recently, he hasn’t forgotten his roots. A keen no-gi jiu-jitsu practitioner who has submitted a number of opponents in his career with a variety of chokes, Teixeira believes his time on the mats facing off against some of the world’s best in BJJ tournaments has helped him gain the frightening jiu-jitsu game he can rely on.

“I got my BJJ black belt after four years of training,” he says with some pride. “I was competing so much and I was beating everybody, in fact, I went to a competition for the blue belt division at either NAGA or Grapplers Quest and I fought three black belts and beat them all.

“My coaches said they couldn’t keep me as a blue belt, so they gave me my purple belt straight away. I train grappling a lot, but lately I’ve been working on wrestling and stand-up. But jiu-jitsu will always be part of my game.”

He adds: “Competitions such as Grapplers Quest and the ADCC help you get to the next level as a fighter. You’re only grappling, but you’re grappling against some of the best jiu-jitsu combatants in the world, especially in ADCC. When you grapple with those guys, even if you don’t win, if you’re not submitted you feel good about yourself.”

As of November 2019 Glover has a 30-7 record in UFC and has won 7 of his last 10 fights. In his 30 wins 17 have been by knockout and 8 by submission.

In 2014 he fought for the UFC Light heavyweight championship, losing over five rounds to Jon Jones.