Glover Teixeira vs. Ji?í Procházka has been pushed back to UFC 275. Teixeira was originally lined up to face Procházka at UFC 274 on May 7, but Combate was the first to reveal that the bout will now take place in June. The reason for the change is currently unknown. The fight will mark Teixeira’s…
Glover Teixeira vs. Ji?í Procházka has been pushed back to UFC 275.
Teixeira was originally lined up to face Procházka at UFC 274 on May 7, but Combate was the first to reveal that the bout will now take place in June. The reason for the change is currently unknown.
The fight will mark Teixeira’s first time attempting to defend the UFC light heavyweight championship. The veteran fighter first earned the belt in October, securing a second-round rear-naked choke submission over Jan Blachowicz.
That victory was his sixth consecutive victory. This winning streak dates back to 2019 and includes two previous main event wins.
Procházka Given Teixeira Fight In Third UFC Appearance
Prochazka is getting a title shot after just two fights in the UFC. The former RIZIN light heavyweight champion made his promotional debut in 2020, finishing Volkan Oezdemir in the second round.
Procházka earned a big win last year, scoring his second victory. He knocked out former title challenger Dominick Reyes in the main event of a “Fight Night” card.
Procházka is known for his explosive striking skills. He is currently on a 12 fight winning streak, with just one of those fights going the distance.
Who do you think will win? Do you have Glover Teixeira retaining, or Jiri Prochazka claiming the belt?
A UFC light heavyweight championship bout between reigning titleholder, Glover Teixeira, and the surging #1 ranked contender, Jiri Prochakza has been booked for UFC 274 on May 7. – with the event expected to take place from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Attempting his first defense of the light heavyweight crown, Minas […]
A UFC light heavyweight championship bout between reigning titleholder, Glover Teixeira, and the surging #1 ranked contender, Jiri Prochakza has been booked for UFC 274 on May 7. – with the event expected to take place from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Attempting his first defense of the light heavyweight crown, Minas Gerais veteran, Glover Texeira managed to scoop the undisputed title at the second time of trying back in October in the main event of UFC 268 – stopping defending champion, Jan Blachowicz with a one-sided second round rear-naked choke in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Glover Teixeira finally clinched UFC gold following a prior title challenge loss to Jon Jones
2-0 in the UFC since his July 2021 debut, former Rizin FF light heavyweight champion, Prochazka most recently headlined UFC Vegas 25 in May – stopping two-time light heavyweight title chaser, Dominick Reyes with a Knockout of the Year contender courtesy of a stunning spinning-back elbow. ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto was first to report the news of Teixeira vs. Prochazka.
The Brazilian champ officially has his next assignment. Glover Teixeira (@gloverteixeira) vs. Jiri Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) is a go for UFC 274 on May 7. Tough first title defense, but Glover’s entire road to this title has been tough. pic.twitter.com/vvlJkwHRt1
The veteran 42-year-old earned his second promotional title tilt with a third round rear-naked choke win over compatriot, Thiago Santos back in November 2020, which followed a one-sided bludgeoning of Anthony Smith in May of that year. To go with those finishes, Teixeira also bested Nikita Krylov, Ion Cutelaba, and Karl Roberson on his run to the title.
28-3-1 as a professional, Czech Republic-born wrecker, Prochazka made his much-anticipated UFC bow back in July of last 2020 at UFC 251 on ‘Fight Island’ – stopping one-time title challenger, Volkan Oezdemir with a spectacular one punch knockout in the second round.
The knockout win came as Prochazka’s whopping twenty fifth professionally. And the 29-year-old is undefeated since April 2016, embarking on a run of 12 consecutive wins over the likes of Karl Albrektsson, Brandon Halsey, Muhammad Lawal, Fabio Maldonado, and C.B. Dollaway – prior to his wins against both Oezdemir and Reyes.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Glover Teixeira sees Francis Ngannou standing as the sole heavyweight champ later this year.
The current 205-pound champ was recently asked his opinion on an upcoming title unification bout between UFC Heavyweight Cha…
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Glover Teixeira sees Francis Ngannou standing as the sole heavyweight champ later this year.
The current 205-pound champ was recently asked his opinion on an upcoming title unification bout between UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane. The fight is set to headline UFC 270, which will take place this Saturday.
Teixeira put value in Ngannou’s power over Gane’s fast, technical ability. Here’s what he said about the matchup:
“Wow, I’m excited for this fight. I want to watch this fight. And it’s gonna be like power vs. Muhammad Ali, right? But I would say George Foreman/Muhammad Ali [stylistically]. One is pure power; the other one [has] the technique. He flow; he jump around; he hits fast; he moves. So I see [Gane] like Muhammad Ali,” said Teixeira, in an interview with Sherdog. “But I [believe] the result is gonna be the same. In my opinion, Francis Ngannou is too powerful right now. He’s on a mission. And man, he’s getting better and better every time we see him. And in my opinion, he’s gonna win.”
Teixeira: Ngannou Has Power
PHOTO: MMA JUNKIE
Teixeira raises an important point about Ngannou. The current champion’s power has certainly been his key to success in the UFC.
Ngannou has fought 13 times since joining the UFC roster with 11 of those being victories. All of his wins have come via finish thus far. His last five fights have resulted in four first-round finishes, with the other just going another minute more than a round.
On the other hand, Gane is more familiar with going the distance. While he certainly has his fair share of quick wins, including his 2019 UFC debut win against Raphael Pessoa, he has already gone five rounds twice in his career. His last fight saw him take Derrick Lewis into the 15th minute of action before finishing him with strikes.
Glover Teixeira is already planning his first light heavyweight title defense.
Glover Teixeira is coming off his extraordinary win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. The 42-year-old shocked the world and became one of the oldest fighters to ever win …
Glover Teixeira is already planning his first light heavyweight title defense.
Glover Teixeira is coming off his extraordinary win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. The 42-year-old shocked the world and became one of the oldest fighters to ever win their first UFC title. Now that he is the champion at 205 pounds, Teixiera isn’t ready to slow it down. In fact, he is already planning his first title defense and even has a name in mind.
“For sure in Brazil,” Teixeira told Sherdog. “It’s meant to be. I (said) right after my fight with Blachowicz…in a perfect scenario would be May for myself because I want to relax, enjoy this moment, and that was a hard year for me—hardcore, focused 100% for the fight. I want a few months off, a couple months off, and I want to get back (training) beginning of January….I told everybody May would be perfect time. And May is the card in Brazil. Who knows? Maybe it’s a possibility, and it’d be fun.”
Teixeira’s win over Blachowicz was the 33rd win of his career. Many thought Teixeira might be heading towards retirement back in 2018 when he suffered his third loss in five fights, but the longtime veteran of the sport battled back to win his next five and secure his title shot. Now, with the belt wrapped around his waist, Teixiera would like to bring it back home to Brazil.
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has expressed his desire to be the man who dethrones reigning titleholder Glover Teixeira.
Blachowicz was one of the most unlikely champions in UFC history. In 2017, a defeat to Patrick Cummins l…
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has expressed his desire to be the man who dethrones reigning titleholder Glover Teixeira.
Blachowicz was one of the most unlikely champions in UFC history. In 2017, a defeat to Patrick Cummins left him 1-4 across a five-fight period. Just as many expected him to be released, the Pole began a remarkable turnaround. In his next 10 appearances, Blachowicz won nine, defeating the likes of Jared Cannonier, Jimi Manuwa, Nikita Krylov, Luke Rockhold, Corey Anderson, and Jacaré Souza.
While many expected veteran Teixeira to be a brief stop-off on the way to a European showdown with the rising Ji?í Procházka, that couldn’t have been further from the reality. At UFC 267, the Brazilian became the second oldest UFC champion in history by submitting Blachowicz in the second round.
Having left Abu Dhabi slightly lighter with the absence of the light heavyweight gold, Blachowicz’s attention has now turned to redemption. The Cieszyn native will look to rebound in the coming months, something he’s been used to doing across his seven-year career on MMA’s biggest stage.
“I don’t know if Glover (is) gonna be in the same shape like (when he faced) me. Maybe him. I will keep fingers crossed for him because I would like to take the belt from his hands, you know? And I hope he still will be, you know, he not going to be retired when I get the second chance for the title. I would like to take the belt from him.”
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has addressed his UFC 267 loss to Glover Teixeira, claiming he’d have “lost to anybody” that night.
Blachowicz’s career has often been a tale of resurgence and beating the odds. Having had a vete…
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has addressed his UFC 267 loss to Glover Teixeira, claiming he’d have “lost to anybody” that night.
Blachowicz’s career has often been a tale of resurgence and beating the odds. Having had a veteran complete his journey at the Pole’s expense in October, the 38-year-old will have to dig deep and bounce back from a setback once again.
In 2017, a defeat to Patrick Cummins meant Blachowicz was 1-4 in his previous five fights and on the brink of being released from the UFC. From there, the Cieszyn native defeated the likes of Jared Cannonier, Jimi Manuwa, Luke Rockhold, and Corey Anderson on his way to a title shot. There, he defied the odds and finished Dominick Reyes to experience a heart-warming championship crowning.
Having defended the gold at UFC 259 earlier this year by becoming the first man to defeat middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya, Blachowicz faced his first challenge from the 205-pound roster in the form of 42-year-old light heavyweight mainstay Teixeira. Joining Randy Couture in the post-40 champions’ club, the Brazilian submitted Blachowicz in the second round in Abu Dhabi.
Given his run since a 2019 defeat to Thiago Santos, Blachowicz’s performance came as a surprise. Dominated in all realms, the Polish powerhouse was outclassed on the night. Now, in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, the former champ has discussed what went wrong on Fight Island.
In simple terms, Blachowicz admitted that nothing went right on October 30. Despite that, he won’t wallow in self-pity and believes he has what it takes to bounce back in 2022.
“Everything goes wrong, you know. I shouldn’t fight that night. But what can I do? I can just, you know, (go) back to the training, back to the gym, train harder, and try to get that belt back, you know. And that’s it. I’m not gonna be sad, I’m not gonna be thinking about the fight because I don’t want to worsen my life about something like this. I think about the fight, why it goes wrong, but I don’t waste time to be sad. I will not hide under the bed and cry.”
Despite not going into detail on why he doesn’t think he should have fought, Blachowicz did suggest it was bad enough day for him that he’d have fallen to defeat against anybody.
“I wasn’t hurt, that was just bad day for me. I will, I think, I will lose with anybody that night, you know. I don’t want to explain myself. It wasn’t my night, that’s it. But sometimes I need something like this. Sometimes I think that I need to lose the fight; I need to do one step back to do two forward, you know. When you look to my career, always be like this. So I believe this time I learned something from this fight and I’m gonna be a better fighter. Same like Thiago Santos and different opponents who beat me.”
With the Austrian ranked at #3, it stands to reason a victory over the former champ will book his place opposite the winner of the likely next title fight between Teixeira and Ji?í Procházka in late 2022. Blachowicz will be looking to spoil those plans for “Rocket” by securing his chance for redemption.
Do you think Jan Blachowicz can regain the light heavyweight title?
A UFC light heavyweight championship bout between reigning titleholder, Glover Teixeira, and the surging #1 ranked contender, Jiri Prochakza has been booked for UFC 274 on May 7. – with the event expected to take place from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Attempting his first defense of the light heavyweight crown, Minas […]
