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With the month of June now upon us, we’re just nine days away from one of the biggest events of 2022 in the form of UFC 275: Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka.
The main event of UFC 275 sees Teixeira defend his light heavyweight title against Prochazka, but can the Czech fighter claim gold in the octagon?
‘Denisa’ has only had two fights in the UFC thus far, but in this fight with the Brazilian champion, there are a number of reasons why he should be favored.
With that in mind, here are five reasons why Prochazka will beat Teixeira at UFC 275.
#5. Glover Teixeira’s advanced age might make things easier for Jiri Prochazka
While it’s fair to say that Glover Teixeira is on an excellent run right now, quite how much longer it’ll last is anyone’s guess. Sure, the Brazilian has won his past six bouts in the octagon, finishing five of them, including his light heavyweight title victory over Jan Blachowicz, but there’s a major question mark hanging over him.
That question mark centers around his age, as Teixeira turned 42 years old last October. The Brazilian is only the second fighter, after Randy Couture, to hold UFC gold after turning 40. While Couture was able to succeed until he was nearly 50, ‘The Natural’ was the exception to the rule.
For the most part, fighters over the age of 40 tend to be slower and far less durable than their younger counterparts. While Teixeira’s last few opponents were unable to take advantage of that, the fact is that father time could catch up with him at any point.
Given that Jiri Prochazka is probably the most dangerous foe that Teixeira has faced in a long time – he’s more explosive than Blachowicz and Anthony Smith, and less flaky than Thiago Santos – then could this be the fight that sees Teixeira’s age finally become a factor?
Obviously we won’t know until fight time, but there’s definitely a big chance that it could be. Essentially, Teixeira’s advanced age is definitely likely to play into Prochazka’s hands next weekend.
#4. Glover Teixeira’s chin has already been cracked on multiple occasions
One major factor that could play into Jiri Prochazka’s hands for this fight is the fact that Glover Teixeira certainly doesn’t have a granite chin. In fact, the UFC light heavyweight champion’s chin has been cracked on numerous occasions.
It’d be unfair to claim that Teixeira has a bad chin per say; after all, he’s only suffered three defeats via knockout in his 40-bout career. However, the two most recent knockout losses he suffered were bad ones, as Anthony Johnson completely turned his lights out, while Alexander Gustafsson hurt him violently with a series of uppercuts.
More to the point, Teixeira was also badly hurt by some of his other opponents such as Karl Roberson, Thiago Santos and Corey Anderson, although he did recover to defeat the former two.
So can the Brazilian withstand a heavy shot from ‘Denisa’ this weekend? In all honesty, it feels doubtful.
Not only does Prochazka have a ridiculous total of 25 KO’s or TKO’s to his name, but his finishes of Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes in the octagon were utterly ruthless. It’s hard to imagine him failing to put Teixeira away if he hurts him like Roberson did.
Therefore, it seems likely that we’ll see a title change in UFC 275’s main event.
#3. Jiri Prochazka’s physical abilities may allow him to keep the fight upright
It’s probably safe to assume that if the fight between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka hits the mat, then the advantage will lie with the Brazilian. After all, Teixeira is one of the most effective grapplers in the history of the UFC light heavyweight division.
The current champion has a total of 10 submission wins in his MMA career, including seven inside the octagon, and his ability to destroy an opponent from top position is second to none right now.
However, to defeat an opponent on the mat, a fighter has to get them down in the first place, and doing that might not be so easy for Teixeira in this fight.
Sure, we haven’t really seen Prochazka’s takedown defense at work in the UFC thus far. He’s only had two fights there after all. But judging on his prior bouts, he’s more than capable of not only defending a shot, but of scrambling free from a bad position on the ground too.
The Czech fighter does not come from a strong amateur wrestling background, but his phenomenal athleticism and physical abilities seem to allow him to escape positions that would doom other fighters.
More to the point, Teixeira isn’t a tremendous wrestler in his own right, as he holds a takedown accuracy rate of just 39%, and averages just over two takedowns per 15 minutes inside the octagon.
Essentially, if Teixeira can get Prochazka down, he can win this fight, but there are very real question marks over whether he can do that, giving ‘Denisa’ the advantage.
#2. Jiri Prochazka is more experienced than UFC fans might realize
On the face of it, it feels very early in Jiri Prochazka’s career for him to be getting a shot at the UFC light heavyweight title. After all, ‘Denisa’ has only set foot inside the octagon twice thus far, meaning Glover Teixeira has more than 10 times the UFC experience he does.
However, to consider Prochazka an inexperienced fighter would be a major error. Teixeira might have more UFC experience, but despite being over a decade older than his upcoming opponent, he’s actually only had eight more professional MMA fights.
Prochazka has in fact competed in 32 bouts, dating back to his MMA debut in 2012. Prior to entering the UFC, he was able to defeat highly-experienced veterans such as King Mo Lawal, Fabio Maldonado and CB Dollaway.
When you add in the fact that he’s literally fought all over the world, from Russia and Germany to Japan and Abu Dhabi, it’s safe to say that he’s a much more experienced fighter than he’s often given credit for.
Essentially, this isn’t a case of a wildly experienced champion facing a rookie challenger. Prochazka is battle-tested and is clearly going to be prepared for the biggest fight of his life next weekend, meaning he has an excellent chance of winning.
#1. Jiri Prochazka has a crazy amount of momentum
While Glover Teixeira is currently on one of the best runs of his career, winning his last six fights in the UFC en route to claiming the light heavyweight title last October, it’s safe to say that Jiri Prochazka has a crazy amount of momentum behind him, too.
In fact, it’s arguable that ‘Denisa’ actually has more momentum than Teixeira when you consider the insane run he’s on right now. The Czech native was last defeated in December 2015. Since then, he’s won 12 fights in a row, finishing 11 of them via KO or TKO.
Most importantly, thus far into his UFC career, he’s looked absolutely unstoppable, tearing through two former title challengers in Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes, and leaving both men unconscious before the final buzzer.
Essentially, Prochazka probably feels unstoppable right now, something that perhaps can’t be said for Teixeira, who has looked vulnerable even in some of his more recent wins. Momentum is a big deal in the world of the UFC, and with that considered, it’s Prochazka who may have the advantage in this bout.
