MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin takes a deeper look at the main event of UFC 275, a five-round heavyweight title bout between champion Glover Teixeira and challenger Jiri Prochazka. The event takes place on Saturday, June 11 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.
Jiri Prochazka (-190)
Prochazka (28-3-1) is the No. 2 contender in the UFC light heavyweight division. The 29-year-old Czech Republic native is a knockout artist who has won 25 of his 28 career victories by way of knockout. He is currently riding a 12-fight win streak, with 11 of those wins coming by knockout. Since joining the UFC in 2020, Prochazka has defeated Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes, both by knockout. His striking is phenomenal and he’s shown that throughout his career. Now against Teixeira at UFC 275, we will find out if Prochazka’s grappling skills will be up to par.
Glover Teixeira (+165)
Teixeira (33-7) is the UFC light heavyweight champion. The 42-year-old Brazilian has been in the UFC since 2012 and he has racked up a 16-5 record overall in the Octagon. He has fought and defeated many of the top light heavyweights in the sport, including Jan Blachowicz, Thiago Santos, Anthony Smith, Nikita Krylov, and Ion Cutelaba, to name a few. Teixeira is an elite grappler who likes to take his fights to the ground and dominate his opponents on the ground. He has some of the best BJJ in the game and he also has devastating ground and pound. On the feet, Teixeira is no slouch either, and he has cardio for days. He might be old, but Teixeira keeps getting the job done.
Fight Breakdown: This is an awesome fight for the UFC light heavyweight belt between two elite talents. That being said, as much as Prochazka has impressed so far in the UFC, I believe this is a very close fight to call, and I’m going to take a shot on Teixeira as the underdog here. As good as Prochazka is in the striking department, Teixeira is no slouch on the feet either and I don’t think the fight will be a total blowout standing. Of course, Prochazka could find Teixeira’s chin and finish him, but if he doesn’t, I believe he will struggle in this matchup because Teixeira’s grappling is so elite.
If Teixeira can get this fight to the ground, I believe he will have a massive edge. If you look at Prochazka’s past RIZIN fights, he was taken down and held down in many of those fights. To be fair to him, he often came back and won against the likes of Karl Albrektsson and Brandon Halsey, but the fact he was taken down and controlled is very concerning to me against someone like Teixeira. Unlike those guys, Teixeira won’t gas out. If Teixeira can avoid getting hit with a big punch, I believe he can win this fight on the ground. Even though he’s older and I generally shy away from 40+ fighters, I’m taking a dog shot on Teixeira, and I believe he can finish Prochazka by submission.
Prediction: Glover Teixeira
