The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship is on the line at UFC 275 this Saturday night when new champion Glover Teixeira defends his title for the first time against Jiri Prochazka.
Teixeira vs. Prochazka is the scheduled main event of this weekend’s PPV card in Singapore and will air exclusively on ESPN+ PPV in the United States.
Glover Teixeira returns after his impressive submission victory against Jan Blachowicz in October. The second-round victory resulted in Teixeira winning the light heavyweight title and marked his sixth consecutive victory in the division.
Standing across from him in Singapore this weekend is a far younger, fast-rising opponent in Jiri Prochazka. The former RIZIN light heavyweight champion has looked outstanding in his first two fights in the UFC, defeating former title challengers Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes.
Before Teixeira and Prochazka clash this weekend, James Lynch asked UFC fighters for their picks and predictions. Each athlete shared their insights and predictions for the title fight at UFC 275.
Watch UFC 275
- Date: Saturday, June 11
- Time: PPV Main Card starts at 10 pm ET
- Watch:
ESPN + PPV (order here)
The Teixeira vs. Prochazka title fight will feature on the PPV main card at UFC 275. Fight fans can order the event on the ESPN+ website to watch Teixeira vs. Prochazka, Shevchenko vs. Santos, Zhang vs. Jedrzejczyk, and more.
Teixeira vs. Prochazka picks
All fighter quotes have been sourced from James Lynch’s MMA Pros Pick series on YouTube. Watch the full videos here.
Dan Hooker
“I like Glover. I like his career, his perseverance, I like that he’s the champion at that age. That gives you — like, I’m not even 32 — and look at him and he’s 41 and he’s going to be a decade older than me and he just won the title. It opens up your mind. I have an avalanche of respect for that man. I’m picking him.”
Curtis Blaydes
“Glover. He knows his path to victory and he’s not going to deviate from his plan. He’s going to eat some shots but he has already proven he can be dropped and still win fights. Even if you drop him, do you want to hop into his guard? No. Glover will find a way to pull it out.”
Jack Hermansson
“I’ll give it to my man Prochazka. We’ve been training together. I know the guy and I know how extremely awkward he is, especially in the stand-up, he’s really hard to prepare for. I’ll give him the edge.”
Kyle Daukaus
“Jiri. I’m a big fan of Jiri. I think he’ll get it done. He’s just a crazy psycho guy but I think he’ll get it done.”
Bryan Battle
“I think Jiri is the guy who is going to end Glover’s run. Glover has been on a super run and I feel like this is kind of his swansong at the end of his career right now. He’s done the unthinkable, he’s gone on and won the title. Jiri is a tough dude. He definitely has the grappling on Jiri but Jiri has been training with Jon Jones and Henry Cejudo now. His striking is absolutely nasty. We know Glover’s chin, he’s a tough guy, but he’s been in a lot of wars but his chin has been weathered. I think Jiri gets the finish in that one and becomes the new champion.”
Julian Erosa
“Jiri is crazy, man. He came out of nowhere, just knocking dudes out. Some of the best guys, you know, so I’ve gotta go with him. I like Glover, too, and I was happy he was able to get the title around his waist but I think Glover is a bit old and his chin is a little suspect or can be suspect, but if he gets him down, he gets him down. I think Jiri is too young and explosive.”
Aleksandar Rakic
“It’s a pretty good matchup. I wouldn’t say that Jiri is the favorite in this fight because we saw what Glover can do. He can take a punch and he’s coming forward. He’s 42 years old but this doesn’t matter because he’s the champion — he became the champion. Glover is pretty good at closing the distance with his hooks to put the guy against the fence, to take him down, drain his energy, and submit them. He did this with Jan Blachowicz, he did this with Thiago Santos, he did this with Anthony Smith. He was losing the first two rounds against Anthony Smith and then he came back.
“Jiri is a guy who feels very good when he makes chaos — when he pushes you and throws punches. But Glover can take these punches and I think that the wrestling and grappling area is much better than Jiri’s.”
Cody Brundage
“I like Glover. I know everyone is big on Jiri. He’s looked really good and this isn’t a knock on him but I just think he hasn’t fought someone with the grappling of Glover. I think he might buzz Glover early but I think it’ll be a lot like the Santos fight where he hurts him a little bit early but then he gets him down on the mat. Once he gets you down, he’s a master of holding you down and Jiri has shown that he’s able to be taken down.”
“That’s a good fight. Glover is very experienced, very tough, he has a chin and everything, however, the age slowly catches up. I don’t want to bet against Glover, I’d love to see him win as the champion.”
Parker Porter
“Really tough call for me because I love Glover. He lives and trains about 45 minutes to an hour away from me and I’ve done plenty of cross-training with him. Jiri is a scary-looking dude, but Glover has done a really, really great job of just picking a game plan and sticking to it — making sure that he doesn’t. I’m going with Glover on this one.”
Anthony Smith
“Let’s go old man, I’m with him. I think this is another good matchup for Glover Teixeira. I’ve spoken so highly of Jiri Prochazka, I love that guy’s style, I think he’s a maniac. I love his approach, his martial arts mindset, and he’s just a wild man in there. I love it and I’d love to share the Octagon with him — I think it’d be a lot of fun. I like how he just presses forward, it’s just like a video game, he’s all over the place. I really enjoy watching that guy fight. I can’t think of anything negative to say about him. Really high on that guy.
But I also do believe that Glover Teixeira matches up really well with him. At the end of the day, Prochazka got taken down and mounted by Dominick Reyes. If a hurt, tired Dominick Reyes can do it then a fresh, champion-mindset Teixeira can absolutely do it. I think Glover has a big advantage in the wrestling and the jiu-jitsu department of that fight. It’s just can he stay safe? He’s been in there with killers, he stayed safe with me. He stayed safe with Ion Cutelaba, Thiago Santos, and he stayed safe with Jan Blachowicz, so at this point, I don’t think it’s a question anymore of whether Glover has the ability to stay safe to get to his good positions. I think he can.”
Javid Basharat
“Honestly, I think that Jiri Prochazka is going to get it done. He’s good and he’s very awkward. I know that Glover at his age still managed to get the title so technically this is somewhat his prime but I still feel like Jiri is a little bit faster and will be a little bit too fresh and too young for him.”
Michael Gillmore
“My heart says Glover but my mind says Jiri. He’s just so fresh and so new. Glover has the experience there and the old man strength that he’s got and the knowledge but I think the young guy gets it done in that one.”
Tristan Connelly
“Glover. I think he’s got everyone in the division besides Jon Jones. I don’t think people are talking nearly enough about Glover.”
Neil Magny
“I gotta go with the OG in this one in Glover Teixeira. He’s just been looking phenomenal lately in his last few fights. To me, being 42 years old and becoming the world champion is just impressive in itself, so I’ll personally like to see him continue to defend it.”
Robert Whittaker
“I’m going to go with Glover. I went against him once and I’ve never heard the end of it. I’m a big fan of Glover and honestly I think that he’s got some of the best grappling and boxing in that division. So, him, I’m going with Glover.”
Johnny Walker
“It’s hard to predict, but I’m going with Glover. He’s a beast. He’s got good wrestling and good boxing as well. He’s still fast and he’s still there, he’s a little bit older than the other guys. Jiri is a really good striker but I’m sure that if Glover put him down on the floor that Glover would have 100% chance to submit him in that fight. But on the striking, maybe Jiri has a bit more skills, so it’s going to be 50/50. Glover puts him down, he’ll finish. If Glover keeps the fight standing, I think Glover is going to lose.”
Gerald Meerschaert
“I’m going to pick Glover. Which probably surprises people but Jiri kind of opens up and does a lot of really cool-looking stuff but Glover also comes in a lot and stays really tight with his hands. So, it’s like, you’re not going to catch him doing anything, so I think that Glover will crack him and take him down.”
Alexander Volkanovski
“Jiri, I think I’m going to go with Jiri. He’s an absolute beast. Glover has proved himself time and time again and what a story that is… but I’m going to have to go with Jiri. I’m going to have to go with him, I think that he’s definitely the real deal.”
Chris Daukaus
“That’s a good one. I like Glover. I like his story and everything but I think that Jiri throws some crazy spinning shit that Glover doesn’t see and that he catches him and puts him out. So, yeah, Jiri.”
Gegard Mousasi
“I’ve gotta go with the younger guy. I’m happy for him [Glover], he’s a nice guy. But the other guy is young, so far he beat good guys with a knockout.”
Kevin Lee
“Jiri. I think he’s got the youth on his side. I think Glover might have a little flash in the pan but I respect the man for what he’s done.”
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