UFC Predictions: UFC 275: Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka

This weekend sees UFC 275 go down in Singapore in what could be one of 2022's best shows
This weekend sees UFC 275 go down in Singapore in what could be one of 2022's best shows

#2. UFC women's flyweight title: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos

Valentina Shevchenko appears to be utterly unstoppable at 125 lbs
Valentina Shevchenko appears to be utterly unstoppable at 125 lbs

It’s always great to see a UFC pay-per-view that features multiple title bouts, but if we’re brutally honest, it’s hard to find much jeopardy in any of Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight title defenses at this stage.

Simply put, ‘Bullet’ is head and shoulders above all of her competition in this division. Essentially, it’s been that way since she arrived there in 2018. Nobody’s come close to testing her, let alone beating her at 125 pounds.

This bout will be Shevchenko’s seventh title defense, meaning that if she wins, she’ll probably have a fair claim at being the greatest female fighter in UFC history. So will she come out on top again?

The likely answer is yes. Challenger Taila Santos is on a decent run of four wins, and overall, she’s an impressive 19-1. More to the point, her victories have come over legitimate opponents in the form of Molly McCann, Gillian Robertson, Roxanne Modafferi and Joanne Wood.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, nothing she’s done has given any kind of suggestion that she could come out on top against Shevchenko.

Sure, she’s shown decent skills in all areas, submitting Wood with a slick rear-naked choke and largely outpointing her other three opponents in all areas, but Shevchenko has powerful takedowns, a tight ground game, and has held her own with strikers like Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.

Perhaps the bigger question should be whether Santos can survive the distance with ‘Bullet’, who has finished three of her last four opponents via KO or TKO. Thus far the Brazilian has only lost once, but given the run Shevchenko is on, it’s hard to imagine her lasting five rounds.

Overall, this is Shevchenko’s fight to lose, and the only imaginable way it could happen is via some kind of fluke. The pick is ‘ Bullet’ via TKO.

The Pick: Shevchenko via second-round TKO

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