Danbury’s Glover Teixeira loses late in first UFC title defense; says ‘I’m gonna keep going’

Danbury’s Glover Teixeira’s first title defense ended in defeat late in the final round Sunday morning at UFC 275 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, but he told ESPN that his career isn’t over.

Jiri Prochazka’s rear naked choke ended the bout with 28 seconds left in the fifth and final five-minute round, giving him a victory by submission over Teixeira and the UFC light heavyweight championship.

Teixeira, 42, had talked about potentially retiring at some point this year, then walked it back somewhat.

“Do I look exactly 42 out there?” he asked on ESPN’s broadcast when asked what was next for him. Told no, he replied, “then I’m gonna keep going.”

Teixeira (33-8) was giving up 13 years, an inch of height and four inches of reach to Prochazka (29-3-1), who looked even bigger as the fight began.

But ESPN’s broadcast said Teixeira was up on two of the three judges’ scorecards and likely would have won had he lasted those last 28 seconds.

“He was hitting me with some body shots that was, like, taking my gas away,” Teixeira told ESPN. “I was gassed out.”

The two fighters brawled for nearly 25 minutes. Prochazka had a big cut over his left eye at the end of the second round. Teixeira had a cut across the bridge of his nose by the end of the third.

Teixeira landed some big punches to Prochazka in the fifth round, but Prochazka managed to kick off the fence and roll Teixeira over with about 75 seconds left in the fight.

Teixeira told a podcast in May, as reported by MMA Insight, that his “perfect plan” would be to win this match, fight once more in November at age 43 and retire. He wasn’t so definitive earlier this week: “I said it was a possibility. I never really said I’m going to retire,” he told USA Today’s MMA Junkie this week, adding that Teixeira didn’t want to retire, then come back to fighting.

Teixeira, who moved to Danbury in 1999 from his native Brazil, became the oldest first-time champion in UFC when he defeated Jan Blachowicz by submission for the light heavyweight championship last Oct. 30.

He had a gym in Danbury but moved it to a larger space in Bethel in 2018.

mfornabaio@ctpost.com; @fornabaioctp