Teixeira became the oldest first-time champion in promotion history at age 42 when he submitted Jan Blachowicz in the second round of the UFC 267 headliner in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 30. The Brazilian is a longtime resident of Danbury, Conn., where he runs Teixeira MMA and Fitness.
Teixeira has won six straight fights dating back to January 2019, a stretch that includes finishes of Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos and Blachowicz. His championship victory came more than seven years after his first title opportunity, a loss to Jon Jones at UFC 172 in April 2014.
Watch video of Teixeira’s acceptance speech below: