Glover Teixeira is confident he can dominate Jiri Prochazka in his first official UFC light heavyweight title defense tomorrow night (Sat., June 11, 2022) at UFC 275 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore, while reminding fans of his proven finishing ability.
Teixeira, who will defend his 205-pound belt for the first time since winning it last October, is a betting underdog entering Saturday’s main event clash with Prochazka. Despite winning his last six trips to the Octagon the 42-year-old veteran will need to prove himself yet again. It’s a familiar scenario for the Brazilian champion who always seems to be counted out entering a high-profile fight.
Luckily, Teixeira remains confident entering his first official UFC title defense. The light heavyweight fighter believes he’ll be able to dictate the pace of the fight and promises to bust Prochazka up from start to finish.
“I’ll beat him up. That’s what you expect of me and that’s what I always deliver,” Teixeira told Ag Fight. “People who have seen me in the beginning of my career, when I fought at Bitetti, Shooto and up until my Jon Jones fight in the UFC [know how I am]. Then when I fought Gustafsson with a broken nose, still going after him. That’s what I’ve always done. I’ll go after him and I’ll rough him up. I don’t need to talk, because I do it. I’m looking for the finish, for sure.”
Prochazka, who has decimated his competition since debuting in the UFC back in 2020, is easily the most unorthodox and unpredictable fighter Teixeira has ever faced. Teixeira has fought some of the best fighters in the light heavyweight division including Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson, Rashad Evans, and Ryan Bader, but Prochazka is as unique as they come.
“He’s unpredictable. You’ve got to expect anything and be ready for anything all the time,” Teixeira said of his opponent. “I have to do my thing. I don’t think he’ll look for a ground fight, because he knows I’m strong there. We’ll see. I’m ready and focused for this fight. No kidding. I don’t think about my opponents too much. I’ve been sharpening my hands, too. People forget that I also have lots of knockout wins in my career. It’s good that they forget, though, because my hands are sharp.”
With only 24 hours until fight time Teixeira will have his chance to prove he’s a champion that can last and one that is equipped to stop the rapid ascension of “Denisa,”
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