In the summer of 2018, the light heavyweight Glover Teixeira was calculated.

He would then turn 39 and had lost three of his last five matches, including being brutally knocked out by Alexander Gustafsson in the Globe 2017. Evil tongues claimed that he was finished.

But Teixeira did not feel finished with his career and the dream of becoming a UFC champion was still alive.

Since then, the brass has been like a newborn and in Las Vegas last night, the 41-year-old took his fifth straight victory in the UFC.

He defeated compatriot Thiago Santos via strangle 1.49 into the third round.

- Santos is called "Släggan" and that was how it felt every time he met me.

I probably broke something in the face, Teixeira said in the victory interview afterwards.

Floored twice - won anyway

Santos, ranked one of the challengers in the 93-kilo class, floored his opponent already in the first minute.

But Teixeira managed to wrestle down Santos where he controlled him most of the round.

Round two started where the first one ended.

The 41-year-old wrestled down Santos and was active from his top position with various attacks such as elbows and blows.

In the closing seconds, Santos was unlucky when Teixeira tried a strangulation, but he managed the time out.

The third round was only a few seconds old when Santos floored Teixeira again, this time with a left hook.

Santos fed strokes but tired himself out whereupon Teixeira was able to turn around a difficult situation and win via strangulation.

"Come on man!"

Teixeira is now learning to take over the first place in the ranking and hopes to get the chance to challenge the champion Jan Blachowicz.

The problem is that UFC President Dana White has already promised undefeated Israel Adesanya, the middleweight champion, a title match in the weight class above.

- Dana, come on man, I'm an old man.

Are you going to give the title match to Adesanya and let me wait?

I have won five games in a row and it is not easy to beat these young roosters.

Give me the title match, said Teixeira.

In total, the brass, who made his professional debut as early as 2002, has won 32 of his 39 matches in his career.

SEE ALSO: Khamzat Chimaev - UFC Swede making comet career (October 24, 2020)

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Khamzat Chimaev - UFC Swede making comet career Photo: SVT