5 keys to victory for Glover Teixeira

#4 Secure the takedown

Glover Teixeira dominating in the grappling exchanges

It's no secret that Teixeira's path of least resistance is to take the fight to the mat. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has dominated opponents time and time again once he's able to secure top position in a fight.

It's hard to tell exactly what Prochazka is capable of doing when taken down. He's spent very little time in grappling scenarios thus far in his UFC career and hasn't fought anyone quite like Teixeira.

It's fair to assume that Teixeira will do what Teixeira does if he secure top position. It's getting there that is the hard part. The champion will need to march through Prochazka's unpredictable arsenal in order to get close enough to initiate a grappling scenario.

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#3 Attack the body from close range

UFC Fight Night: Teixeira closing the distance

Assuming the takedown doesn't work, what's the next best thing? Fighting from the clinch. Prochazka is dangerous from everywhere. However, if there's grappling involved, the fight is in the champion's wheelhouse.

Once in the clinch, or even just close enough, attacking the body will pay dividends as the fight carries on. Knees from the clinch, ripping to the body, and diversifying the target when throwing combinations – all these will help Teixeira weigh on the the challenger, who hopes to dethrone the 42-year-old.

'Denisa' is no novice. He's got a wealth of experience, having had 31 fights. However, the actual time spent in the octagon favors the champion. He's gone the full five rounds, whereas Prochazka has a penchant for the early finish. Should Teixeira's body attack work out and slow down the challenger, then it'll be an uphill battle for Prochazka the longer the fight goes on.