With UFC 275 just around the corner, the debates on whether the light heavyweight division changes the ruler or not are starting to heat up. The reigning champion, Glover Teixeira, meets one of the fastest rising stars in the organization, Jiri Prochazka. According to the UFC odds, the challenger is the favorite, but over the past few fights, Glover was always the underdog, and yet somehow, he always got out as the winner.
Last Fights Records
Teixeira is coming off a win over Jan Blachowicz at the UFC 267, which earned him the title. The Brazilian veteran submitted the Pole via rear-naked choke in the second round. As for Prochazka, the Czech fighter obliterated Dominick Reyes at the UFC on ESPN 23, knocking him out in the second round.
Matchup Information
This is the first meeting between these two guys, and we will analyze their styles over the next few paragraphs. As said earlier, the stake is the UFC light heavyweight title.
Teixeira vs Prochazka Betting Analysis
Prochazka is 13 years younger than the champion, and they both have a completely different approach in the octagon. While Teixeira loves to take the bout down to the mat and create the advantage with fantastic grappling knowledge, Prochazka is a superb striker, who has dynamite in his fists.
Glover Teixeira Overview
At 42 years of age, Glover proved that it is never too late to win the title in the UFC. This grappling master holds the record in the light heavyweight division with the most finishes and most submissions. The previous two wins he posted against Thiago Santos and Jan Blachowicz ended with a rear-naked choke.
Currently, Teixeira is on a six-win streak, during which he defeated Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba, Nikita Krylov, and Anthony Smith before the above-mentioned two rivals. Despite the age, Teixeira's chin is still rock solid, and his cardio didn't drop for a bit. He is solid in stand up, but uses every possible situation to get near the rival and get him into a clinch. From that on, he drags him down to the ground.
Jiri Prochazka Overview
Before this title clash, the former Rizin champion had only two bouts in the UFC organization. It appears that Dana White estimated that the Czech can go after the biggest dogs in the company and that there is no time for waiting. Counting his previous performances in Rizin, Prochazka has 12 consecutive wins.
On his UFC debut, the 29-year-old knocked out Volkan Oezdemir in the second round. He would then prove himself worthy of a title bout by beating the two-time challenger, Dominick Reyes, and finishing the Devastator with a spinning back elbow. It was one of the best KOs of the entire 2021. As you can see, the Checz is a ferocious puncher who ended 25 of his 28 wins with a knockout.
Updates
There isn't any news regarding the bout or the fighters themselves.
Teixeira vs Prochazka Betting Preview
The challenger comes to this event as the favorite, with the odds set on his victory at -190. On the other side, Teixeira is once again the underdog, +155, but we've seen him adapting to that role perfectly in the last few bouts.
Teixeira vs Prochazka Betting Prediction
The main question here is who will impose its own style of fighting? Prochazka's plus is a four-inch longer reach, while on the other side, Teixiera knows that once he gets the rival, he is likely going to finish him on the mat.
We are giving a slight edge to the champion here, even though the bookmakers don't trust him. The reason for that is his experience and the fact that he endured Blachowicz and managed to beat him easily, and may we add that Jan looks significantly better on the ground and in takedown defense than Prochazka, who hasn't been properly tested in this area up to this point.
How to Bet on Teixeira vs Prochazka
This is the main event of the night, and it shouldn’t be a problem to find it in any sportsbook. UFC/MMA sections are well highlighted, and this bout should be at the top of the list.
