Teixeira reflects on move to U.S. at media day

“To tell the truth, I live an hour away from here, so I feel like I’m home too,” Teixeira said of Danbury, Connecticut, where he has lived since 1999. “A lot of people that I know are coming down. I don’t how many are gonna be here, but at least 50 people have said they’re going to be here for the fight and I think it’s going to be even more for the weigh-ins on Friday.“

Nearly two decades later, there’s a gym with his name on it in Connecticut and plenty of summer barbecues. But the 37-year-old, who faces Jared Cannonier this weekend, never forgets where he came from.

“The reason I’m fighting is because I started here,” Teixeira said. “I never had the opportunity to fight in my country because I lived on a farm. So it’s easier to embrace something that helps you. It (living in the U.S.) helped me to grow. It doesn’t mean I don’t love Brazil. I love Brazil, but this country also gave me a lot of opportunities.