5 Things You Might Not Know About Glover Teixeira

Glover Teixeira has been a model of consistency throughout his career, always straddling the blurry line between good and great.

His prime years now growing faint in the rearview mirror, Teixeira will take on Misha Cirkunov in a UFC on Fox 26 light heavyweight showcase this Saturday at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The 38-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has compiled a 9-4 record since arriving in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2012. Teixeira has lost twice in three appearances and last competed on May 28, when he was cut down by a volley of Alexander Gustafsson uppercuts in the UFC Fight Night 109 main event. His well-rounded skills have made fighting a lucrative endeavor for the John Hackleman protégé, as the UFC has awarded Teixeira $250,000 in post-fight performance bonuses since he joined the roster five-plus years ago.

As Teixeira prepares to take on Cirkunov in a pivotal battle at 205 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He hunts the neck.

All six of Teixeira’s submission victories have resulted from constriction. He defeated Ovince St. Preux, Antonio Mendes and Jack Morrison by rear-naked choke, James Te Huna and Leonardo Nascimento Lucio by guillotine choke and Kyle Kingsbury by arm-triangle choke.

2. Though his trophy case may be lacking, he has a championship pedigree.

Teixeira laid claim to a Shooto Americas championship at 220 pounds in 2011, and while he has yet to capture a major mixed martial arts title, he holds victories over three former UFC champions (Rashad Evans, Quinton Jackson and Ricco Rodriguez) and a current Bellator MMA champion (Ryan Bader).

3. He prefers not to waste time.

Teixeira has a long-established tendency to end fights in a hurry. He has 17 first-round finishes to his credit, accounting for 65 percent of his career total. Included among them are five-, 60-, 87- and 87-second stoppages.

4. Tried-and-true techniques have played a role in his success.

He has put his base skills to good use in inside the Octagon, as Teixeira was once a member of the national wrestling team in his native Brazil. He has successfully executed 51.4 percent of the takedowns he has attempted in Ultimate Fighting Championship competition, good for second on FightMetric’s all-time list for light heavyweights. Only Lyoto Machida (65.0 percent) ranks higher.

5. Only the best of the best have cracked his code in the UFC.

The four men who have defeated Teixeira under the Ultimate Fighting Championship flag -- Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson, Phil Davis and Jon Jones -- own a cumulative record of 80-15. That equates to a .842 winning percentage.