5 talking points going into UFC 275: Teixeira vs. Prochazka

The UFC's sixth pay-per-view of 2022 will be underway at the Singapore Indoor Stadium this weekend. The world's premier MMA promotion has once again put together a stacked card brimming with talent, and it promises to be one of the best events of the year thus far.

The pay-per-view will be headlined by a light heavyweight championship bout between Glover Teixeira, the champion, and Jiri Prochazka, the challenger. The co-main event will witness flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko take on rising contender Taila Santos.

Also on the card is the rematch of 2020's 'Fight of the Year' winner between two former champions – Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

UFC 275 fan-made poster [Image via @needingart on Instagram]

Outside the three marquee matchups, there are numerous intriguing bouts set to go down at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 125-pound prospect Manel Kape will have a chance to extend his winning streak when he takes on Rogerio Bontorin after Australian welterweight Jack Della Madallena squares off against Ramazan Emeev in the first fight of the main card.

On that note, here are five talking points going into UFC 275: Glover Texeira vs. Jiri Prochazka.

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#5. Will Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk deliver another 'Fight of the Year' contender?

Back in February 2020, in the final UFC event in front of a capacity crowd before the subsequent government imposed lockdowns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk delivered one of the greatest fights of all time.

Their back-and-forth slugfest went on to win the promotion's 'Fight of the Year' award, becoming the first women's fight to earn the accolade. Weili came away with a narrow split decision victory on the night and retained her strawweight title as a result.

Now, two years removed from their first meeting, the duo are set to lock horns once again. This time, the circumstances are quite different as both fighters will view the rematch as a must-win, with the victor expected to fight the champion, Carla Esparza, next.

While the strawweight belt was on the line in their first fight, the rematch arguably has higher stakes for both former champions. With both Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk coming off losses in their last outings, this upcoming title eliminator bout has huge implications in the 115-pound division.

Additionally, Weili and Jędrzejczyk are well aware of each other’s physicality, speed, and tendencies. It wouldn't be fair to expect another 'Fight of the Year' contender, but the stylistic matchup, in many ways, has all the makings of another barnburner.

A shot at UFC gold beckons for the victor.

Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk will run it back in Singapore [Image via @needingart on Instagram]]

#4. Can Taila Santos produce one of the biggest upsets in MMA history?

Taila Santos is really up against it going into UFC 275. The Brazilian flyweight contender has fought just once in the Eastern Hemisphere in her 20-fight professional MMA career so far and will fly halfway around the world to take on arguably the greatest female fighter of all time, Valentina Shevchenko.

Santos currently occupies the No.4 spot in the flyweight rankings. Since winning a UFC contract following her appearance on Dana White's Contender Series, she has gone 4-1 at 125 pounds. Her professional record stands at 19-1, with the lone loss on her record coming via split decision.

While Santos boasts a near-perfect record and diverse skillset, she will have to be perfect on June 11th at the Singapore Indoor Stadium if she is to dethrone Valentina Shevchenko. Any slip-ups on the Brazilian challenger's part will see the champion pounce on the opportunity to capitalize and finish the fight.

With Santos' well-rounded game, she will likely pose a bigger threat to Shevchenko than her previous challengers. However, the flyweight queen is one of the most complete fighters in the world, showing new wrinkles to her wrestling and submission game in her wins over Julianna Pena and Jessica Andrade.

As such, Santos is a massive betting underdog going into this championship bout. Nevertheless, MMA is the most unpredictable sport in the world and every so often, we witness a jaw-dropping upset.

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#3. Will we see any holes in Valentina Shevchenko's game, or will we witness another masterclass?

Valentina Shevchenko has established herself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, irrespective of gender. The reigning flyweight titleholder has proven to be head and shoulders above her peers at 125 pounds, having already defended her 125-pound strap six times.

Shevchenko has brought a level of dominance to the flyweight division that we've rarely seen in MMA. She's barely lost a round at 125 pounds and more importantly, she's hardly shown any weaknesses.

It's no secret that the Kyrgyzstani phenom is most comfortable in the striking realm, with eight knockout victories to her name. Her headkick KO of Jessica Eye remains one of the greatest knockouts in women's MMA history. However, as discussed earlier, she has matured into a well-rounded mixed martial artist and a clear path to victory against her is yet to be laid out.

At UFC 275, against a top contender in Taila Santos, Shevchenko will once again have the opportunity to cement her status as one of the best to ever grace the octagon. Even if she does emerge victorious, it would make things a whole lot more interesting in the division if a chink of two in her armor was to be exposed.

Barring one round against Jennifer Maia, Shevchenko has torn through every opponent she's faced in all of her title defenses so far. Santos is definitely a worthy challenger, and if 'Bullet' rips through her as well, she will emerge as the most dominant champion in the UFC.

#2. Will Glover Teixeira's fairytale run continue, or is this the end of the road for the UFC veteran?

Glover Teixeira joined the UFC ten years ago at the age of 31. He was a dominant force in the Brazilian regional MMA scene and was famously unable to compete in the United States due to visa issues.

At the time, many believed that Teixeira had joined the world's premier MMA organization a little too late in his career and that he would never claim UFC gold.

He went on a five-fight winning streak after joining the promotion, earning himself a title shot against then-champion Jon Jones, which he lost via unanimous decision. His next nine bouts would see him go 5-4 and the consensus opinion was that he was past his prime.

Much to the surprise of the entire MMA community, Teixeira has enjoyed an incredible career resurgence since turning 40 back in 2019. Once again, he went on a five-fight winning streak to secure another title shot. At UFC 267 last year, the Brazilian veteran beat Jan Blachowicz in one of the most inspiring title-winning performances in UFC history.

In his first title defense, Teixeira will have a mammoth task on his hands as he takes on surging light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275. The Brazilian champion has struggled against high-level strikers and doesn't have the fight-ending power in his fists that he once possessed.

However, if he manages to take Prochazka down and secures top position or full mount, the challenger is undoubtedly in trouble.

Teixeira's submission game is truly elite, as is evident in the six-fight win streak he finds himself on. In his current string of victories, the MMA veteran has submitted the likes of Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba, Thiago Santos and, of course, former champion Jan Blachowicz.

Nevertheless, Prochazka is as dangerous as they come. The 29-year-old Czech ace has all the advantages over the reigning champion, and as such, is the betting favorite going into the bout. If Teixeira loses, he might just call it quits after a 20 year professional career.

Glover Texeira will look to defend his title on June 11th [Image via @glovertexeira on Instagram]

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#1. Will Jiri Prochazka's astronomic rise continue?

Only a handful of fighters in UFC history have been fast-tracked to a title shot. Brock Lesnar famously fought for the heavyweight title in just his fourth professional MMA bout back in 2008. Most recently, former Bellator champion Michael Chandler contested the vacant lightweight strap with just one win in the UFC.

Jiri Prochazka's rise has been somewhat similar. The Czech phenom joined the UFC in 2020 boasting an impressive professional record of 26-3. He signed with the world's premier MMA organization after winning and defending the light heavyweight championship in Japan's leading combat sports promotion, RIZIN FF. Interestingly, he even turned down the UFC while competing in Japan.

In his first fight in the famed octagon, Prochazka viciously knocked out former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir to break into the top 10. In his sophomore appearance, 'Denisa' put another former title challenger in Dominick Reyes to sleep, producing one of the most memorable knockouts of 2021.

Prochazka's knockout victories against Oezdemir and Reyes proved to be more than enough to convince the matchmakers to give him a title shot. His unorthodox style and penchant for violent finishes has seen him resonate with hardcore fans. At just 29, he could emerge as one of the biggest stars in the sport if he continues on his current trajectory.

At UFC 275, Prochazka will be taking on the biggest challenge of his career thus far when he locks horns with MMA veteran and light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira.

If Jiri Prochazka emerges victorious against Glover Teixeira and claims the light heavyweight title just three fights into his UFC career, his stock will reach new heights.

The light heavyweight throne was occupied by Jon Jones and, briefly, Daniel Cormier for close to a decade. Prochazka has all the tools to rule over the weight class for many years to come and a win at UFC 275 could be the start of a long and fruitful championship reign.