UFC 275 ‘Teixeira vs. Prochazka’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Joselyne Edwards (145) vs. Ramona Pascual (145)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Edwards (-170), Pascual (+150)

Round 1

For the first time since the pandemic shut things down in 2020, the UFC is breaking the cycle of the U.S., Fight Island or London. This pay-per-view card, one that airs excruciatingly early for local Singapore crowds, will be posted up in the home of One Championship, in the very building One has made its home for the past couple years. It will do so with a fight card that may start slow but builds into something that could be quite special, and we begin with a rare women’s featherweight tilt. After losing her UFC debut in February, Pascual (6-3, 0-1 UFC) will try again in the division, this time meeting ex-bantamweight Edwards (10-4, 1-2 UFC) at 145 pounds. Finish rates of 80% or higher follow both women into this meeting, so judges hope to be out of the equation while referee John Sharp may be needed at a moment’s notice. The ladies do not touch gloves to open the night, and instead they would like to trade strikes early. Pascual begins with several slow low kicks, appearing to be more in search of range than to do damage. Edwards paws back with her hands in a half-hearted effort as well, and she reaches out with an overhand right that has considerably more mustard on it. Pascual responds with a heavier leg kick, and Edwards walks her down and smacks Pascual in the face several times. Pascual bounces off the wall and attempts to get her leg kicks going, only for Edwards to check one and give her pause. Edwards measures her with multiple front kicks, and she swarms her foe with looping punches that force Pascual to again ricochet off the fencing. Pascual looks to punch her way into a takedown try, and although she gets countered with a solid right hand, she does close the distance and tie Edwards up. The pink-haired Edwards does not want to stay in this position, and she shoves her opponent violently back to get the separation she seeks. Edwards has her own leg kick checked when she attempts one at range, and she does not appear concerned as she continues to toss them out while mixing them up with punches to the midsection. Edwards is able to keep the fighter from the Philippines at bay with repeated push kicks to the upper torso, and she marks up Pascual’s body with these kicks again and again. Edwards gets tagged with one single punch, but she does not slow with her high-volume approach that is more about touching than dealing serious damage. When Edwards goes for a side kick, Pascual bears down on her and pushes her to the wall. Edwards attempts to change things up with a trip of her own, and Pascual fights it off and backs off to belt Edwards in the midsection with a thudding kick. “La Pantera” lets out an audible grunt of pain as she doubles over from the blow, and Pascual sees she has done some damage and tries to finish the job with punches and knees. Edwards survives, blocks several of the oncoming shots, and retreats. As she does, Pascual kicks her in the head, and Edwards wobbles back to the cage. Pascual runs out of time before she can seek out the stoppage, as the horn sounds mid-combination.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pascual
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pascual
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Pascual

Round 2

Edwards looks to start things off in the second frame with more of her volume-centric approach, partially in hopes of keeping Pascual off of her so that she can get the remainder of her wind back. Pascual pushes forward regardless of this, and she jams the Panamanian into the wire as she punches her. Edwards circles away and lets go with a four-punch combo, and the last one has the most significant impact of the bunch. Pascual pays it no mind as she strides forward headhunting rather than targeting the compromised midsection, and she slugs Edwards in the chops with two hooks. Edwards jabs the body with kicks with her toes extended, forcing Pascual to fight at the end of her foe’s kicks. Pascual reaches out with a left hook that glances off the chin, and Edwards shakes it off and keeps pawing with strikes. Pascual looks for a takedown, and Edwards sprawls or stuffs her with ease and keeps battering Pascual’s body. Edwards keeps her mouth open and has her hands low, but her kicks keep coming to disallow Pascual from her full-throated attacks. The kicks from Edwards are slowing, but they are effective at forcing Pascual to take a step back to avoid them. Edwards slams one kick to the outside of Pascual’s thigh, and her kicks are practically the only offense coming from either woman for a good stretch. Pascual swipes out with a left, but she is out of range thanks to Edwards’ kicks. Edwards adjusts her trajectory of kicks to turn some into oblique kicks, stomping down to the knee and giving Pascual a bit of pause. Pascual absorbs a few to power into a pair of punches, and Edwards is the sharper with a right hand counter. Pascual gets tired of taking these body kicks, latching on to one and throwing Edwards to the mat with seconds to spare. Instead of playing in the guard, Pascual lets her back up as the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pascual
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pascual
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Pascual

Round 3

Edwards decides to continue her work with light kicks to the body and knee, and these are pitter-patter shots that are barely stay-busy strikes with little-to-no impact on them. She sits down on a few, but they get blocked or checked respectively when she does. Pascual ignores the kicks so that she can crash forwards in pursuit of a single, and Edwards hacks at her with elbows that land on the spine, forcing a warning to come from Sharp. Edwards gets the proper leverage to buck Pascual off of her, and she breaks free so that she can resume her steady approach of kicks. Pascual shrugs a few off to bowl forward, and she gets caught with an uppercut on the way in but still manages to grab hold of a single. Edwards not only stops it in its tracks, but she strings together several punches to the head and body that draw a visible reaction from her foe. Edwards has a few solid kicks to the body slow Pascual, who appears stunned from the strikes. Edwards uses this opportunity to let go with an axe kick, but it is out of range. Pascual answers several kicks with one powerful one, and Edwards switches stances briefly. “La Pantera” crashes forward with a superwoman punch, and she dings Pascual with an uppercut. They toss out kicks at the same time, and Edwards answers with several more to all targets low and high. Pascual grabs a body kick so that she can trip Edwards down, but Edwards hops away on her other leg and snatches her foot back so that she gains space. Edwards then chops at her opponent, and kicks to the body open up punches to the head as Pascual reacts again. Edwards stands Pascual up when Pascual tries to take her down, and she strings together a few punches. Pascual darts forward for a desperation takedown that is nowhere close to the target, as Edwards shoves her away and marks her up with punches. They both trade high kicks, and the fight comes to a close. It could be a close one, depending on how judges score Edwards’ excellent volume compared to Pascual’s more powerful blows in the first two rounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (29-28 Pascual)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (29-28 Pascual)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (29-28 Pascual)

The Official Result

Joselyne Edwards def. Ramona Pascual via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Silvana Gomez Juarez (116) vs. Na Liang (116)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Juarez (-150), Liang (+130)

Round 1

When the official result is announced, barring something unexpected, either Liang (19-5, 0-1 UFC) or Juarez (10-4, 0-2 UFC) will have earned her first win inside the Octagon. Since Liang has entered the cage, her record has transformed slightly, with four previously unlisted victories getting unearthed by the unstoppable Fight Finder team. “Dragon Girl” has never before won a fight on the scorecards after 19 total victories, while the Argentinian’s own stoppage rate sits at an impressive 80% in her own right. Referee Steve Perceval may have his hands full here, but he notices a respectful touch of gloves before the strawweights throw down. Liang reaches out early with jabs and low kicks, and she tosses out a front kick for good measure. Juarez ducks back when Liang targets a looping overhand right, and Liang attempts another that just misses. Liang dives low for a single, and she lifts Juarez’ leg up in the air but cannot set her down. Juarez breaks free thanks to short punches on the inside, and she lets Liang gather herself and meet her in the middle. A question mark kick from Liang misses the mark, and she falls down to the mat. “Dragon Girl” springs back up and hunts for a takedown, and Juarez jams her up and pushes her back. Juarez reaches out with a left, measuring her target and winging a right hand over the top that smashes Liang in the face. The Chinese fighter drops to a knee, and as she returns to her feet, Juarez greets her with a sweeping right and a devastating left that knocks her down to the floor in big trouble. Perceval sees that Liang might be totally out, and he intervenes, as Liang rolls to her back staring at the lights. That’s one way to earn your first UFC victory, with a clean knockout in less than 90 seconds.

The Official Result

Silvana Gomez Juarez def. Na Liang R1 1:22 via KO (Punches)

Batgerel Danaa (135) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (136)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Danaa (-150), Kang (+130)

Round 1

With early prelims out of the way, the ESPN or ESPN2 prelims kick off in the bantamweight division, when “Mr. Perfect” Kang (17-9, 1 NC; 6-3, 1 NC UFC) hunts for his first victory in the cage since 2019. The South Korean will attempt to do so at the expense of Danaa (12-3, 3-2 UFC), who is also hoping to rebound from a defeat. The two gentlemen with drastically different preferred methods of victory will draw officiating by referee Thomas Fan, and they touch gloves ahead of their matchup. Danaa strikes first with jabs, and he swipes out with a left hook that knocks Kang back a step. Danaa counters a leg kick with another left hook, and he walks forward into a slapping kick that makes him recoil his lead leg. Danaa fires back with his own low kick, and a calmer Kang responds with another. Kang continues to work the lead calf with repeated strikes, and Danaa tries to counter one with a left only to not reach the target. They trade jabs, and Kang’s kicks continue to lump up the calf. “Storm” checks one and gives chase with a leaping right hand, and Kang spins about and resets. Kang chips away with his kick, and Danaa answers him with a straight jab that splits the guard. Kang jabs out as well to mimic his foe, and he blocks high when Danaa throws haymakers at him. Kang has a front kick push Danaa back, and Danaa replies in kind and follows with a right hand. Kang peppers his man with the jab, and he just ducks and spins away when Danaa unloads with a huge punch that brushes past the hair of “Mr. Perfect.” Danaa gets off a low kick and takes one that is harder, one that makes him adjust his stance briefly. The Mongolian bears down on his man with punches to the body and head, and he nails Kang with a crisp uppercut to make Kang do a quick count of his teeth. Danaa begins to put some power into his punches, while Kang is content with sharp yet straight strikes in response. Danaa turns his hips into a low kick, and when he aims another, it partially gets checked. On the outside, Danaa stings Kang with a few punches, and he ducks a spinning back elbow just in the nick of time. Danaa thinks about taking Kang from behind, but he elects to let go and walk Kang down. Kang scores a right, gets countered, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Danaa
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Danaa
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Danaa

Round 2

Both bantamweights trade strikes early, one after the other, and Kang lands flush with a solid right hand. “Mr. Perfect” looks for perfection with a subsequent flying knee, and Danaa gathers himself and pushes his man back so that he can adjust and come in at another angle. Danaa follows a jab with a left hook, and Kang is quick and moving, and he just blocks a head kick in time. Danaa wings a punch so hard that Kang is able to see it coming and dance out of the way, like the overused bull-matador expression. Danaa attacks the body with a kick, and he checks a low kick that comes his direction. Kang considers a takedown, and the Mongolian stuffs him and scoots back to take some space. They trade jabs, and Kang beats him to the punch with one right after. Danaa has one kick land with an audible thud, and the jab exchanges continue from both men. Danaa goes to the body, and Kang snaps the head back with one of his own. Two punches from Danaa knock Kang back, and Kang blocks high when Danaa attempts to chain punches together over the top. Danaa works the body with punches and a kick, and Kang answers him with jabs. Kang charges in for a takedown, and Danaa shoves him down to the mat and knees him in the head quite illegally. Both men are confused about it, but Fan tells them to fight on instead of pausing the fight to check on Kang’s condition. Danaa bears down on him with a few punches, and when he gains a little momentum, Kang spins with a back fist drills him in the face. Danaa’s punches have more arc on them, while Kang remains content to use his power jab to decent effect. They both land single punches, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kang
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kang
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Kang

Round 3

The last round opens with a glove touch, and Kang strikes first with a quick kick to the body. Danaa gets jabbed up on his way in, and he gets tagged when Kang follows one with a powerful punch. Danaa tries to keep up with jabs of his own, and Kang’s are faster and intercept him. Danaa aims a front kick up the middle that brushes past the nose, but one low kick that comes after is loud on the outside of Kang’s lead leg. Kang uses head movement to keep Danaa hitting air as Danaa is loading up, and Kang swiftly counters him. Kang chews up his foe’s lead leg with kicks that have marked it up significantly, and Danaa bites down on his mouthpiece and charges in with triple hooks. Kang hops back, and he scores a piston-like jab up the middle. They pop one another with left hooks, and Kang dings him with a right shortly thereafter. Danaa fires off a low kick and a right hand, and Kang stands him up with an overhand right to reply. Kang eats a jab but leans back when Danaa spins with a back fist, and he is there to greet Danaa with crisp punches right down the middle. Danaa’s blows are more reckless, and his face begins to swell from the accurate blows from Kang. Kang’s jab is eating up Danaa’s face, and Danaa tries to pay him back with a massive right hand. It clangs off Kang’s head, and Kang does not so much as budge, demoralizing the Mongolian further. Two powerful hooks from Kang do enough damage to force Danaa to charge for a takedown, and Kang pushes him to the wall and marks him up with a few punches. Kang throws so hard he falls over, and Danaa sprints at him and jumps in the air with a knee after the bell sounds. Fan cannot get in there fast enough, but Kang does not appear concerned, as the fight goes to the judges without bad blood.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kang (29-28 Kang)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Kang (29-28 Kang)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Kang (29-28 Kang)

The Official Result

Kyung Ho Kang def. Batgerel Danaa via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Brendan Allen (186) vs. Jacob Malkoun (186)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Allen (-280), Malkoun (+225)

Round 1

Moving right along, this next fight comes up at middleweight, when Allen (18-5, 6-2 UFC) drops back down to 185 pounds in hopes of defanging “Mamba” Malkoun (6-1, 2-1 UFC). The third man inside the Octagon will be gold-standard referee Jason Herzog, and he takes a step back when the fighters wade forward with no interest in touching gloves. Allen fires off a few high kicks and a jab to follow, and he catches Malkoun backing up with a leg kick. Allen goes over the top with a right hand, and Malkoun looks to stand firm and blast him back. They trade big punches on the inside, and Allen backs off and aims a kick low. Malkoun scores solidly with a jab, and Allen chomps down on his gumshield to throw heavy leather. “Mamba” is able to slither out of danger and answer Allen with a solid right hand, but Allen is on him giving chase. Allen loads up on power punches, darting forward and making the Aussie retreat. As Allen lands a low kick, Malkoun pursues a takedown. Malkoun takes Allen’s legs out beneath him as Allen pursues a possible guillotine choke setup, and he shrugs his neck out and they both stand up. Malkoun keeps his hands clasped behind Allen’s waist, and he elects to simply drag Allen down on top of him when he cannot otherwise take Allen down. Allen ends up giving his back up when unable to twist around, and Malkoun gets one hook in and holds him tight. Allen turns to his knees and powers back up with Malkoun on his back, and he lifts Allen up but cannot plant him down. Allen hops towards the cage and reverses Malkoun to throw him down to the mat with emphasis. “All In” goes all-in as he claims mount in a hurry, but before he can get off any noteworthy offense, Malkoun is scrambling wildly. Allen threatens with a submission, and they both power back up instead. Allen clings to a guillotine choke when Malkoun looks to tackle him back over, and the Aussie wriggles his neck out and gets on top. Allen scoots his way to the wall on a single knee, and he stands up with a few seconds to spare. Malkoun holds on, taking a short punch and elbow to the face, before the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Allen
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Allen

Round 2

The middleweights do decide to touch gloves to start off the second round, and Allen starts off hot with a few power punches that get blocked. Malkoun responds with a looping right hand, and Allen kicks him in the head for good measure. Malkoun pushes out a few jabs, leading to Allen imploring him to strike with him. As Allen advances, Malkoun clips him with a straight left, getting stunned for a moment. They both land powerful hooks, and Allen chains the punch into a low kick. As soon as it lands, Malkoun attacks a single-leg takedown, and Allen fights off this try and a subsequent trip but gets pulled down to the mat. Allen cannot stay upright, even with a cheeky fence grab, and he falls to his back and closes his guard. The Aussie steps over to half guard, and he grinds with his forehead instead of striking. Allen slashes with elbows from his back, and he bucks Malkoun off to walk up the cage back to his feet. Malkoun lets him spin around so that he can wrench Allen down to the ground with a single. Malkoun jumps to half guard and gets off a couple short punches to the body, and he has one go over the top. Malkoun hangs on from on top, and he sits up to drop down a pair of elbows before glomming back down. Allen scrambles after these strikes, getting to a knee and ultimately surrendering his back. Allen times an explosion quickly to gain top position, and he leaps over to side control with about 30 seconds left in the round. Allen hammers down a few short elbows as the round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun

Round 3

To start off the round in a reversal of fortunes, Allen shoots for a takedown early. Although he puts Malkoun on his back, the Aussie scrambles during a transition to get back to his feet. Allen lets his hands go, marking Malkoun up, and Malkoun tries to respond with a few jabs. Malkoun charges wildly forward to hunt for a single, and he grounds Allen momentarily. The American climbs back to his feet as Malkoun is holding his back standing, and Malkoun whips him back down to the canvas. Allen nails him with a couple elbows off his back, but this offense slows when Malkoun holds his own head on top of Allen’s. “All In” kicks off but cannot get Malkoun off of him, and Malkoun takes his back. Allen turns the tables to get on top, and Malkoun doggedly reverses him and goes for a single. Allen steps all the way through to get on top, as both men embark in a thrilling wrestling exchange. Malkoun will not let him into his guard, but Allen lowers himself in and lands a few strikes from above. Allen hacks with an elbow or two as he has Malkoun flat on his back, and he drops down a few punches to mix things up. Malkoun defends with a triangle off his back to tie his man up and reach the scorecards.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun (29-28 Malkoun)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun (29-28 Malkoun)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Malkoun (29-28 Malkoun)

The Official Result

Brendan Allen def. Jacob Malkoun via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Steve Garcia (155.5) vs. Maheshate Hayisaer (155.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Garcia (-180), Hayisaer (+155)

Round 1

Two victors from seasons of Dana White’s Contender Series collide for this lightweight matchup, when “Mean Machine” Garcia (12-4, 1-1 UFC) welcomes Maheshate (8-1, 0-0 UFC) to the UFC. The youngster Maheshate holds eight wins on his ledger, not six as other sources may list, due to a pair of 2019 victories discovered when Fight Finder staff members deciphered a typo in the promotion itself misspelling his name. Referee Marc Goddard will be on top of the action in this 155-pound affair, and there is a no glove touch from the two competitors to seal the cage around them. Maheshate throws out a front kick, and Garcia leaps back as Maheshate bears down on him. They both trade ferocious leather, and Garcia hurts Maheshate with a right hand. The Chinese competitor replies with a power punch that knocks Garcia down, and Garcia is able to get his wits about him and jam Maheshate into the wall and score several short right hands. Garcia cannot keep his foe pressed to the wall, and Maheshate jumps back. Maheshate retreats as “Mean Machine” crashes towards him recklessly, and Garcia wings a left hand that comes up short. In response, Maheshate counters with a short but brutal right hand that lands right on the button and completely disables Garcia. The American falls face-first to the mat, totally unconscious. Maheshate knows his work here is done, and looks down but does not strike as Goddard reaches him to pull him away. Maheshate celebrates with his team after his outstanding UFC debut, as he becomes the first fighter to knock out the UFC and Bellator vet Garcia.

The Official Result

Maheshate Hayisaer def. Steve Garcia R1 1:14 via KO (Punch)

Seung Woo Choi (146) vs. Joshua Culibao (146)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Choi (-225), Culibao (+185)

Round 1

The .500 UFC records of both Choi (10-4, 3-3 UFC) and Culibao (9-1-1, 1-1-1 UFC) will change for the better or worse when the dust settles in this preliminary headliner at 145 pounds. Choi has been out of action since October 2021, but not to be outdone, Culibao’s inactivity spans almost 13 months. Looking to avoid errant shreds of rust getting kicked off will be referee Steve Perceval, although he acknowledges that the two have touched gloves before fighting. Choi leads off with a high kick that gets blocked, and Culibao switches stances a few times early to get Choi to guess. They both think about throwing strikes, and then pull back at the last second. They are inactive for the first full minute, and Choi breaks the lull with a head kick that knocks Culibao back even though it is fully protected. The South Korean strikes from afar, and Culibao looks to respond but comes up short. Two punches bounce off Choi’s shoulders, and he splits the guard with a front kick. Culibao rips the body with a left and has his lead leg kicked hard. Culibao strides forward suddenly with a few power punches, getting Choi’s attention and bouncing back before Choi can reach him. “Sting” has another head kick blocked, and Culibao bullies him back against the wall with a few punches. Choi responds with a right hand after a jab, and he scores a leg kick for good measure. Culibao wings his own head kick, and Choi shrugs it off. The two decide to throw massive left hands, and both land flush and walk through them. Choi boots Culibao upside the head with the side of his foot, and Culibao ignores it entirely. Choi swipes with a left hook and a low kick, and Culibao pops him with a right hand and left hook to reply. Culibao rings Choi’s bell, and they start throwing bombs at one another. Choi is rocked badly, but still throwing everything he has. Culibao steps in with a knee that knocks Choi down to his seat, and Culibao tries to finish the job only for Choi to hang on to him on the floor. Choi gains a full head of steam out of nowhere when he powers back to his feet, and he blasts Culibao back. “Sting” stings Culibao with his own barrage, and they tie up against the fence with Culibao hanging on tight. The horn sounds to end the round in this position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Culibao
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Culibao
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Culibao

Round 2

The featherweights meet in the middle with a touch of gloves after the end of last round’s violent conclusion. The pace starts slow again, with a single head kick attempt from Culibao that is easily blocked. Culibao darts forward, and Choi intercepts him with a blistering right hand that staggers Culibao. Culibao replies with a powerful strike that hurts Choi, and the two battle it out one after the other, getting their attention with powerful blows. Culibao settles down and tosses out a few kicks, until he blitzes forward with a short right that knocks Choi back into the wall. Choi attempts to counter, and Culibao dances back out of range, but not far enough to avoid being kicked. Choi goes high and low, and Culibao loads up with all he has to crack Choi with a left and a right that send Culibao crashing to the canvas. Choi powers up on sheer instinct and gets back up, where he initiates a brawl with his ready opponent. Culibao does not engage in the hands down, chin up slugfest like before, instead measuring Choi and working him over with effective punch combinations. Choi gets a moment to breathe, and he goes up high with a kick that slams into Culibao’s guard on his head. Culibao goes after a head kick of his own, and Choi breaks it up by rushing forward with a right to the head and a left to the body that whiffs. “Sting” puts everything he has into a right hand, and the momentum of the blow that misses turns him halfway around. Culibao meets him with a right, and he nods at his tough opponent. Choi goes after a head kick, and it partially connects, so he attempts another with his other leg. Culibao springs out of the way from that to load up with a pair of punches, and Choi takes them on the chin and still manages to remain upright. Choi lets loose with a body kick, and a few punches get Culibao’s attention including a stiff right hand that wobbles Culibao’s legs. Culibao shakes out the cobwebs and attacks with a body kick, and Choi charges. They both throw two-punch salvos at one another in turn, until the horn stops this exchange.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Culibao
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Culibao
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Culibao

Round 3

The fighters hug it out to start the final round, and Choi appears energized, bouncing on his feet. They trade low kicks one after the other, and Choi breaks it up with a jab down the pipe. Choi backs Culibao up to the wall and unleashes a spinning wheel kick, and Culibao blocks it and defends against a head kick that comes shortly after. Choi slips his shin under Culibao’s elbow, and Culibao tries to make him pay only to come up hitting nothing but air. Choi airballs several looping punches, as Culibao is light on his feet and moving out of the way just in time. Culibao likewise misses on a huge, winging punch, and Choi targets the lead leg on the way in. They drill one another with right hands, with Culibao getting the better of an exchange, although he changes stances at the end of it after eating a low kick. Choi spins with a back fist that leads into a clinch, and Culibao turns him around and considers a takedown. When it does not succeed, he elects to drive several knees to the upper thigh, and Choi spins him back about and hunts for a trip. The South Korean grounds Culibao, and as Culibao scrambles to get back up, Choi sneakily takes his back. “Sting” makes this blunder sting by hooking up the body triangle, and he fishes for a rear-naked choke in a hurry. Culibao defends the grip and frees himself from the immediate, sudden danger, and Choi changes things up and attacks with his other arm. Culibao starts talking to Choi, but Choi answers with punches and not words. Culibao sticks his tongue out at the overhead camera as he does not appear remotely concerned in this position, and Choi pulls back from the body lock to take a different position. Culibao explodes to his knees and back upright with seconds to spare, and he slugs Choi in the face right before the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Choi (29-28 Culibao)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Choi (29-28 Culibao)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Choi (29-28 Culibao)

The Official Result

Joshua Culibao def. Seung Woo Choi via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Jack Della Maddalena (170.5) vs. Ramazan Emeev (171)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Della Maddalena (-155), Emeev (+135)

Round 1

Our main card commences with a 170-pound bash when rising talent Maddalena (11-2, 1-0 UFC) faces off against Combat Sambo world champ Emeev (20-5, 5-2 UFC). Since starting his career off with two stoppage losses, Maddalena has not looked back, winning all 11 since then including 10 inside the distance. His opponent, on the other hand, has gone the distance in each of his last eight outings, win or lose, and this encompasses his whole UFC run and beyond. The Octagon ranger here will be referee Josh Sharp, and there is no glove touch in the cards. On the left side of his body, Emeev has an unusual large red patch that extends around to his back. Emeev strikes first with a right hand over that top that just misses, and they trade quick punches early. Emeev loads up on power strikes, and he chains a punch combination into a low single. Emeev rolls all the way through to get Maddalena to the mat, and he lands in a way that he puts Maddalena on his back and looks for a side-naked choke of sorts. When Maddalena stands, Emeev latches on to a standing anaconda choke, and he rolls all the way through to put Maddalena back to the ground. Maddalena rips his neck out of extreme danger and wills his way back to his feet, and he knees Emeev square in the face. Emeev looks for a pair of punches, and Maddalena swats him away and bears down on him with a swarm of strikes. Maddalena blasts Emeev with a long salvo of punches, and although Emeev shells up, the blows get through. Maddalena targets the body with a few vicious left hands, slamming the liver with all his might, and Emeev’s legs give out beneath him. Seeing that Sharp has not stepped in, Maddalena lords over Emeev and pounds on the sides of his head with unrelenting blows. Eventually, Sharp has seen enough and halts the contest. Maddalena has now earned 12 straight victories, but few more impressive than this one.

The Official Result

Jack Della Maddalena def. Ramazan Emeev R1 2:32 via TKO (Punches)

Andre Fialho (170.5) vs. Jake Matthews (170.5)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Allen (-280), Malkoun (+225)

Round 1

Before losing the Rogerio Bontorin vs. Manel Kape pairing – Bontorin withdrew due to a botched weight cut that hospitalized him with kidney issues – this welterweight fight was slated to take place on the prelims. As such, Fialho (16-4, 1 NC; 2-1 UFC) and Matthews (17-5, 10-5 UFC) will be the benefactors of that unfortunate situation, slotting on the main card right before a rematch of one of the greatest fights of all time. Fialho has somehow quietly strung together two solid knockouts since mid-April, and a third win in 57 days, knockout or not, would smash the record for the quickest accumulation of three victories in the UFC’s modern era. Whether he can do it or get rebuffed, referee Jason Herzog will be the first to know. There is no glove touch, and Fialho begins to stalk Matthews down early on. Matthews stays on the outside with a few low kicks, and Fialho replies with a single jab. Matthews continues to move and work the lead calf with kicks, reddening and welting it up early. Fialho replies with one of his own, and he slips when Matthews throws a straight left hand at him. Matthews reaches Fialho with a swiping right hand, and he scores a few low kicks and wings a head kick over the top that clangs off the top of Fialho’s head. Matthews tries to pre-emptively counter Fialho on the way in, and Fialho is stuck guessing and not able to pull the trigger. Matthews kicks the leg to solid success, and a left hand to follow is flipped out to decent effect. Matthews just brushes the side of the head with a wide right hand, and Fialho wades into the fray and gets clipped with a right hook. Matthews slides past his man, and he gets touched with a right hand that backs him up to the wall. Fialho crowds Matthews, and they both smash one another on the jaw with clean punches, and it is Fialho that has to back off and gather his thoughts. Matthews jumps forward with a front kick to the body, and he checks a low kick that zips at his calf. Fialho strikes with his shin on Matthews’ lead leg, and he tags his foe with crisp punches. They nail one another with heavy blows, and Matthews lands clean and makes Fialho back up. With seconds to spare, Fialho drills Matthews with a single punch, and Matthews’ legs give way seconds later in a delayed reaction. Matthews falls to his back, threatening with a submission off his back, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Matthews
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Matthews

Round 2

Fialho begins the second round confidently, marching Matthews down while chambering a right hand. Matthews tries to keep his distance with long jabs, and he gets off a shovel uppercut that hurts Fialho. Matthews cracks his man with a right hand, and he gives chase with an uppercut that buckles Fialho. The man from Portugal does not go down, but he is still on baby deer legs, and he manages to swing wide enough to make Matthews think twice. Fialho gets nipped with a right and an uppercut, and he darts back and bounces off the wall while Matthews is feeling himself. Matthews goes up high with a kick, and it slaps off the high guard. Matthews rings Fialho’s bell with a straight right hand over the top, and Fialho appears to have gathered himself right until Matthews cracks him with another right. Fialho backpedals and loads up on everything he has, sensing he might be in trouble and needs to get Matthews to respect his power. Matthews does not let him off the hook, eating a few shots and firing back harder, with his furious fists crashing into Fialho’s dome. “The Celtic Kid” scores a clean left hand that wobbles Fialho, and he chains punches to the body and the head until Fialho is on the ropes. The Aussie unleashes a fury with one final combination, separating Fialho from his senses and putting him down to the mat for good. Herzog recognizes that there is no more fight left in the ferocious Fialho, and he steps in to save Fialho from further punishment. Matthews puts himself back on the map with that performance, outslugging an exceedingly dangerous striker and beating the power puncher at his own game.

The Official Result

Jake Matthews def. Andre Fialho R2 2:24 via KO (Punches)

Joanna Jedrzejczyk (116) vs. Weili Zhang (116)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Zhang (-160), Jedrzejczyk (+140)

Round 1

In the co-main event of UFC 248 back in March 2020, then-champion Zhang (21-3, 5-2 UFC) and challenger Jedrzejczyk (16-4, 10-4 UFC) battled it out for one of the greatest fights to ever take place inside the Octagon, regardless of gender. An unprecedented 351 significant strikes were traded across five exceptionally violent rounds, and Zhang pulled off the split decision win partially thanks to the extreme damage she inflicted on the Polish ex-champ’s face. Since then, Zhang has surrendered her title with two losses to Rose Namajunas, while Jedrzejczyk has not competed stepped in the cage again. For whatever reason, the UFC decided to run their titanic tilt back over the course of three rounds, even though it has granted non-title five-rounders to welterweight and lightweight contenders in recent memory. Regardless of the circumstances, referee Marc Goddard is absolutely ready for anywhere this fight takes him. The two strawweights who have found a great deal of respect for one another over the last couple years touch gloves. Jedrzejczyk takes the center of the cage and looks for her range with several jittery jabs and low kicks, and Zhang is calm and composed as she slowly marches forward. Zhang counters a leg kick with an overhand right, and Jedrzejczyk does not appear concerned as she goes after the same kick moments later. They meet in the middle and throw hands, and they exchange violently and repeatedly. Jedrzejczyk loads up on a sweeping low kick that takes Zhang off her feet, and she does not follow her down and instead allows her back up. They begin to brawl wildly, and Zhang gets the better of an exchange to bully Jedrzejczyk back to the wall. “Magnum” grabs hold of one leg and lowers Jedrzejczyk down to the ground, and she slams her fist into Jedrzejczyk’s head repeatedly. Although Jedrzejczyk muscles her way out, Zhang trips her back down and begins smashing. Zhang lands in an awkward position close to full mount, and she drives punches into Jedrzejczyk’s face on the mat. Zhang gest a high half guard and drills her with more punches, but Jedrzejczyk muscles her way back upright. Zhang doggedly pursues the takedown again, and she successfully hits a mat return with a body lock. Zhang shoves Jedrzejczyk’s legs aside so that she can blast her with a standing-to-ground right hand, and she leaps over to claim full mount in a hurry. Zhang batters her opponent with ferocious punches and elbows, and Jedrzejczyk bucks and twists with all her might to get out of this precarious position. Zhang is stronger and more effective at grounding her adversary, and she rails down with a long string of elbows. Jedrzejczyk kicks off the fence and bursts up to her feet, and the crowd goes wild. Brimming with confidence, “Magnum” plods forward and wings a right hand, but Jedrzejczyk slips it and scores a clean right of her own. Jedrzejczyk throws wildly, and connects with a straight right that backs Zhang up. She chains together a few more powerful punches, and plants her shin in Zhang’s side. Zhang catches the leg, dumping Jedrzejczyk to the mat, and Jedrzejczyk springs back up as the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Zhang
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Zhang

Round 2

The second round commences with kicks from both strawweights, and Jedrzejczyk puts on a one-two right down the pipe. Jedrzejczyk sneaks in a leg kick, and Zhang replies with a left hook. A side kick to the midsection scores for Zhang, and she triples up on this to decent effect. Jedrzejczyk makes her pay with a salvo of punches, and Zhang replies in kind as the crowd explodes with chants for both fighters. Zhang counters a body kick with a left hand, and they trade punches and kicks one after the other in rapid succession. Zhang gets tagged to the body and throws back to the head, and she punctuates one combination with a side kick to the ribs. Jedrzejczyk slides back when a spinning kick whizzes by her head, and she rushes in to the clinch, only to get met with a knee and an elbow up close. Jedrzejczyk tries to trip her foe down to counter a hip toss from Zhang, and neither go down, so they return upright again. Zhang scores a clean one-two, and Jedrzejczyk gathers her thoughts and walks forward with punches. Jedrzejczyk surges forward with a long string of punches, and Zhang intercepts her with a side kick. As her foot pounds into Jedrzejczyk’s midsection, the Chinese former champ continues to turn all the way through with a spinning back fist. The strike connects about as cleanly as one could, and Jedrzejczyk collapses face down to the mat, out cold. Incredible! The only way to one-up the “Fight of the Year” from 2020 would be to create a “Knockout of the Year” candidate, and Zhang instantly puts herself in contention for that category as she may have earned a title shot as well. Jedrzejczyk comes to as Zhang runs to her team to celebrate the thrilling battle with a no-hand cartwheel, and Jedrzejczyk signals that she is alright to the delight of those watching. Zhang invites Esparza to face her at the UFC card in Abu Dhabi that will take place in October, saying that it is not home territory for any fighter and would make a fitting backdrop for their fight. In defeat, Jedrzejczyk removes her gloves and thanks the UFC and its staff for everything, and announces that she is retired. She places her gloves down on the mat, signaling an end of an era.

The Official Result

Weili Zhang def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk R2 2:28 via KO (Spinning Back Fist)

UFC Women's Flyweight Title Fight:
Valentina Shevchenko (124.5) vs. Taila Santos (125)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Shevchenko (-630), Santos (+450)

Round 1

The biggest betting disparity comes in this co-headliner at women’s flyweight for obvious reasons. At -525, champ Shevchenko (22-3, 11-2 UFC) is closing far from her biggest line as a favorite, which shows a modicum of respect from bettors towards her Brazilian adversary Santos (19-1, 4-1 UFC). Since moving to 125 pounds, “Bullet” has been nigh-unstoppable, winning all eight of appearances while notching five finishes on her path to greatness. A successful defense here would earn Shevchenko a few championship records for women thought nigh-unbeatable. Referee Jason Herzog is locked in for a high-stakes affair, and intensity is the name of the game here but the two still touch gloves before handling their business. Shevchenko steps out to take the center of the cage, and she flicks out a few low kicks and stands firm without moving much. Santos absorbs the strikes and dives forward to punch, only to get clipped with a short right hand counter on the way in. A pair of punches go wide for the champ, and she checks a low kick that comes at her. “Bullet” just misses with a spinning back kick, and Santos swarms her with four punches that all miss the mark. The Brazilian does use her momentum to tie the champion up, only for Shevchenko to turn her around and knee her in the face. Shevchenko works the midsection with a few knees for good measure, and Santos is warned for grabbing the gloves. Shevchenko holds both underhooks, trapping Santos against the wall, before looking to trip Santos over. Santos somehow throws Shevchenko to the ground, and she instantly secures the back and locks up a body triangle. In arguably the most danger of her entire career, Shevchenko tries to fight the grip and looks to stop a rear-naked choke from materializing. Santos keeps fishing for chokes, and she ignores punches that Shevchenko tosses at her behind the head, even though they are scoring effectively. Santos covers Shevchenko’s mouth with her hand when not hunting for a choke, and Shevchenko drills her in the face repeatedly before the horn sounds to separate them.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 2

Undeterred, Shevchenko picks up where she left off on the feet in the last round, claiming the center of the Octagon and slinging out strikes. Shevchenko lands at the end of a punch or two, and she comes up short with a spinning kick. Shevchenko lands a low kick, and she darts forward to clinch. Santos welcomes this and pursues her own single-leg takedown to push Shevchenko up against the wire. The champ defends well and lands a few short, irritating strikes as she is mashed into the chain-link fencing like Santos were trying to grate cheese on her back. Santos powers all the way through to trip Shevchenko down, and she plants “Bullet” on her back. Shevchenko closes her guard, and she considers an armbar setup when Santos moves to break the posture. The Brazilian lowers herself back down to stay out of submission danger, and Shevchenko hunts for an incredibly elusive Gogoplata. Santos is shocked, and she rips her neck out in the nick of time so that she does not get tapped by this, and she climbs back down to flatten Shevchenko out in the re-closed guard. Santos stays composed and smartly keeps Shevchenko on her back, but without any offense to speak of, Herzog eventually stands them up with about 80 seconds to spare. Shevchenko scores a single low kick to the upper thigh, and Santos grabs hold of her to pursue some semblance of takedown. Shevchenko counter-flips Santos to the mat, and as Santos moves through to try to take top position, Shevchenko threatens with an armbar. Santos deftly maneuvers through the concern so that she can reside in Shevchenko’s closed guard again, and she grinds out the rest of the round in this position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Shevchenko

Round 3

The first strike thrown in the third round is a Shevchenko leg kick, and Herzog recognizes that Santos does not have her mouthpiece 10 seconds in and pauses the round. She puts it in, and we resume as Shevchenko kicks her in the calf again. Santos replies with a leg kick, and Shevchenko counters one to follow with a pair of punches. They go tit-for-tat with slapping kicks, and Shevchenko turns all the way about to kick her in the midsection with a spinning back kick. Shevchenko paws out punches and low kicks, and Santos pushes forward but cannot grab her foe. Shevchenko decides to go for a takedown, and they both hit the mat on their sides, without Shevchenko able to secure top position. The challenger pops back up without fear, and they resume the pitter-patter strikes from kickboxing range. Shevchenko lances out a straight jab and follows it with a left hook, but the latter gets blocked. Santos strides forward with an uppercut, and they grapple in the clinch both pursuing a takedown of some kind. Santos pushes the champ back to the wall, and Shevchenko hangs on and punches her all the way around her foe’s head. Santos hits a spectacular trip and puts Shevchenko on the mat, although when she tries to take the back, Shevchenko turns through. Shevchenko stacks Santos up against the corner of the cage and the wall, and the Brazilian manages to take Shevchenko’s back in the process. Santos grabs hold of a rear-naked choke, and it is not under the chin but is a powerful neck crank. Santos leans back and torques everything she has into her grasp, and Shevchenko manages to grit it out and turn her head enough to be free for now. Santos gets punched in the head repeatedly, and she cannot lock down the choke before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 4

We have reached the championship rounds, and the defending champ and one considered the best fighter in the world by some may be down three rounds on the scorecards. Shevchenko starts aggressively, landing flush with punches and a body kick. Shevchenko winds up with a head kick, and her foot swipes the groin on the way up before connecting up top. During the replay, a clash of heads is shown from the previous round that led to some serious swelling around Santos’ right eye. Santos recovers from the inadvertent foul and comes forward to strike, but the champion is sharper and meets her with a few punches. Santos crashes forward and gets elbowed on her good eye, and Shevchenko is targeting her left hand on the swelling. Shevchenko connects with a series of punches to knock Santos back, and Santos’ eye is getting bad in a hurry. Shevchenko chase with a superwoman punch, and when Santos tries to clinch, Shevchenko backs off and kicks her in the side. Shevchenko counters a low kick with a right hand, and she just comes up short on a leaping punch and a front kick. Three punches from Shevchenko get through, and she concludes the combo with a head kick as Santos is struggling to see with her eye nearly closed. Santos pushes out with a front kick, and Shevchenko greets her with a slapping kick to the inside thigh. Shevchenko intercepts her foe with a left hand down the middle, and Santos pops the leg with a couple kicks. Shevchenko charges forward with a short string of punches, and Santos gets backed to the wall and just misses with a winging left hook. Santos sneaks in a left hand as Shevchenko comes at her, and they clack heads again as they meet. Shevchenko scores two punches, only to get pushed back by a front kick, and Santos is not afraid of the champ’s striking in any degree. Shevchenko loads up on a right hand, and Santos times a perfect takedown to take Shevchenko off her feet. Santos holds on with punches and elbows, and the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Shevchenko
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Shevchenko
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Shevchenko

Round 5

Herzog calls in the doctor between rounds to check on Santos’ eye, and it is in a bad way but she is still good to continue. This final round could be the one to decide it all, depending on the scoring of a few earlier rounds. The last frame opens with a kick from Santos, and Shevchenko replies with a pair of punches that miss the mark. Santos reaches out with a distance-keeping kick, but Shevchenko pushes past it and swarms her with punches. Santos connects with a few leg kicks, and Shevchenko bears down on her and rings her bell with a barrage of punches. Santos attempts to take the fight down, and Shevchenko reverses her with a hip toss to put her down. Santos moves all the way through in a wild exchange so that she can get a hook in from behind, with Shevchenko on her knee leaning against the fence. The champ tries to escape out the back door, and Santos cannot hang on even with both hooks in. Shevchenko climbs upright, and Santos does the same. Shevchenko connects with a right hand that knocks Santos back and shakes her up, and they kick at the same time. Shevchenko times a low kick to hit a double, and she plants the challenger on her back flat on the mat, landing in half guard. “Bullet” comfortably resides on top, dropping down short punches and shoulder strikes, even mixing in a palm strike or two. Shevchenko connects with four solid right hands as Santos scoots herself to the wall, and Shevchenko stays heavy without allowing Santos a moment to breathe. Shevchenko slices over to side control, before hopping back to half guard to keep Santos down. Shevchenko considers an arm-triangle choke, but she is in the wrong place to reach it. Santos hacks with short elbows from her back, and a few punches from the champion end the fight. It could be anyone’s fight here, and that is not something most prognosticated coming into this 125-pound championship affair.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Shevchenko (48-47 Santos)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Shevchenko (48-47 Santos)
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Shevchenko (48-47 Shevchenko)

The Official Result

Valentina Shevchenko def. Taila Santos via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)

UFC Light Heavyweight Title Fight:
Glover Teixeira (205) vs. Jiri Prochazka (205)

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Prochazka (-200), Teixeira (+170)

Round 1

A gold belt and eternal bragging rights are on the line in this UFC 275 main event, when at the age of 42, proud champion Teixeira (33-7, 16-5 UFC) looks to defy the odds once more and stave off ferocious competitor Prochazka (28-3-1, 2-0 UFC) for the light heavyweight strap. In their 61 combined victories, the two have only gone the distance six times, leading to referee Marc Goddard being on his guard as soon as both men set foot in the cage. The betting line on this fight not going to a decision is a tremendous -550, and they both possess the power and skills to end it in the blink of an eye. Before that happens, however, they gleefully touch gloves. It’s on. Prochazka keeps a low stance with his hands low, as per usual, and reaches out with a left hand several times. Teixeira replies with a high kick, and when that gets blocked, he digs his shin in the body. Prochazka goes to the calf with a powerful kick, and Teixeira answers with another body kick. The stance of the challenger gives Teixeira a few issues, and Teixeira counters a barrage of blows with a left hook. The champ hunts for a single, and he successfully puts “Denisa” on the mat with less than 90 minutes into the fight. Prochazka closes his guard and scores a couple elbows, but the ground-and-pound from Teixeira is far more substantial and damaging, in the form of clubbing punches and vicious elbows. Prochazka works his way to the wall, and Teixeira grabs hold of a rear-naked choke from the side when Prochazka partially gives up his back. Prochazka hangs on to the wrist grip, but Teixeira pulls him down to the ground and lands in side control. Prochazka considers pushing off the fence, but Teixeira squishes him down in north-south position with his groin in the challenger’s face. Prochazka explodes back to his feet, and he breaks the grip, backs off and smiles. Prochazka jumps in the air with a knee, and Teixeira looks to catch him on the way down and take him down. Prochazka connects with a clean kick to the body, and Prochazka scores a few more strikes for good measure. Teixeira goes for a single, and Prochazka somersaults all the way through and bumps into the wall. The champion dives on top and secures full mount, where he begins to blast away with ground strikes as Prochazka tries anything he can to get some space. Teixeira connects with thudding elbows until Prochazka spins all the way through, and Prochazka looks to sneak out the back door. Teixeira is a bit too high on the back, and Prochazka shimmies Teixeira off of him and slides his arm away from armbar danger. Prochazka lowers himself down into Teixeira’s guard, and he unloads with several ferocious punches and elbows, hurting Teixeira. The round ends as Teixeira is taking massive damage, but he springs right to his feet when the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira

Round 2

The gloves get touched to open the second round, and they meet in the middle. Teixeira reaches out with outstretched fingers, and it jabs Prochazka in the eye. Prochazka declares he can see, and makes Goddard get out of the way so he can keep fighting. Teixeira eats a jab on the way back, and Prochazka is leaning towards him but keeping good head movement and footwork to evade strikes. Prochazka kicks Teixeira square in the face, and he is light on his feet with long punches. Prochazka just misses with a high step-in knee, and he avoids the clinch try from the champ. Prochazka keeps switching stances and takes a front kick to the midsection while doing so, but he manages to paw out a left hook. Teixeira bears down on him but cannot corner him, and they trade right hands. Prochazka nails his man with a right hand and jumps in the air with a flying knee, and Teixeira takes it on the chin and goes for a takedown. Prochazka sprawls and gets up, and he fights off another takedown try from the Brazilian. Prochazka threatens with a front choke, but when that does not succeed, he has to try with everything he has to get some distance and not get put on his back. Prochazka tees off on Teixeira with punches and knees to the chin, and Teixeira powers through them and hunts for a single. Prochazka slides his leg out and takes a moment to gather his thoughts, and he steps in with a clean elbow. A reverse elbow from Prochazka scores, and “Denisa” chains together several punches to rock Teixeira. Prochazka jumps in the air with a knee, and when he misses, he falls to the mat. Teixeira jumps on top and secures three-quarter mount, where he pounds on Prochazka with nasty punches. Prochazka clings to the champion so as to not absorb punishment, but Teixeira every so often postures up to connect with a heavy elbow. Prochazka steps over to mount with 15 seconds to spare, and he drops down punches and elbows. Prochazka keeps a high guard to defend himself, but Teixeira slashes him wide open with a brutal elbow. Blood sprays from the cut that encompasses most of his eyebrow, and the horn sounds when Teixeira rolls for an armbar. This is madness, although the cut may be bad enough that the fight gets called off here. One can hope it continues.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira

Round 3

The doctor clears Prochazka’s inch-long cut above his left eye, and both men are smiling and happy to continue. They touch both hands before engaging, and Prochazka opens up with a high kick. Prochazka jabs the body and reaches a left to the head. When Teixeira comes at him, Prochazka meets him with a stern knee. Prochazka tosses Teixeira out of the way when Teixeira attacks for a takedown, and he steps away and tells the champ to get back up instead of playing on the ground. Prochazka times a big flying knee again, and Teixeira’s chin holds up to it and several subsequent punches, and he gives a few back to Prochazka to think about. Prochazka targets the leg with a loud kick, and he chains several jabs together. Teixeira meets him with a takedown effort, and Prochazka stops him in his tracks and stuns him with a line of punches. Prochazka stops another takedown, and he motions for Teixeira to get up. The body language of the champion is not good, as he takes extra time to stand up, but he returns to his feet. Prochazka goes up high with a knee, and Teixeira catches it and grabs on to the leg to take him down. Prochazka rolls away, and Teixeira follows him and plants the challenger on his back. Prochazka muscles his way back upright again, where he elbows Teixeira repeatedly before ripping the body with a crazy left hand. Prochazka stops the takedown to follow effectively, and he begins to do damage to the body as Teixeira struggles to keep his composure. Prochazka blasts the body with a few knees, and Teixeira doubles over and desperately shoots in. Prochazka stops him in his tracks and practically tackles the Brazilian to the mat, where he begins to brutalize Teixeira with punches and hellacious elbows. Prochazka inflicts multiple cuts on the champion, and instead of striking, he attacks a brabo choke. Teixeira rolls through it and takes top position, and he begins to deliver pain with his own punches and elbows. A few strikes bust the cut wide open above Prochazka’s eyebrow, and Prochazka throws his legs up high for a possible armbar setup. He holds on to this position and rolls to his knees, and the ridiculous round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Prochazka
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Prochazka
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Prochazka

Round 4

We have somehow made it to the championship rounds, a new place for Prochazka, and they meet in the middle to strike it out. Teixeira gains a second wind and bullies Prochazka back to the wall with four punches, and Prochazka wears them well and circles away. Teixeira goes with a punch to the body and then kicks the head, and Prochazka replies with a body shot of his own. Prochazka connects with a solid uppercut that backs Teixeira off, but his strikes appear quite labored. Prochazka drills Teixeira with a picture-perfect shovel uppercut, and Teixeira winds up with his own punch that knocks the challenger back. Teixeira chains the blow into a takedown try, and he puts Prochazka on the ground and lands in side control. Teixeira hangs on while Prochazka looks to buck him off, and he climbs into full mount before the midpoint of the round. Teixeira nails Prochazka with several punches before setting up an arm-triangle choke, and the squeeze itself causes blood to pour out of the eyebrow of Prochazka. Teixeira uses his full body weight to set up a smother-type choke, but Prochazka gives a thumbs-up to Goddard to indicate he is no danger. Prochazka climbs on tight and absorbs a few more punches, and Teixeira uses the opportunity to spring to the side and snatch on to an arm-triangle choke. Prochazka gives yet another thumbs-up and toughs it out, and unbelievably, he turns all the way over and gets on top of Teixeira. Prochazka rains down punishment, and Goddard tells Teixeira to fight back. This is insane! Prochazka cannot keep Teixeira down, and Teixeira moves unexpectedly fast to take Prochazka’s back. Teixeira looks to sneak a hook in and get a choke, but Prochazka is once more able to escape what could have been the fight-finisher and get back on top to pound on Teixeira. Prochazka lands a few more punches, and the round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira
Mike Sloan scores the round: 10-9 Teixeira

Round 5

Who could have predicted these two gladiators would make it to the final round? They hug it out and signal their utmost respect to one another, and then back off to fighting stances. Teixeira comes out firing with a low kick and a left hook, and he chains a right hand on the side that knocks Prochazka clean into the wall. Prochazka is out on his feet, and Teixeira grabs hold of a guillotine choke and jumps guard to finish the job. Practically unconscious, Prochazka on instinct gets his neck out, and he blinks out the damage while in Teixeira’s guard. Prochazka gets out of the guard, and he begins to land his own offense with a jab and solid uppercut. Teixeira connects with another clubbing right hand, and the cut above Prochazka’s eye is bloodied once more. The champion wings a few punches that get Prochazka’s attention, and Teixeira hunts for a takedown. He cannot get the single or double that follows, and Prochazka slaps him lightly in the face a few times. When given space, Teixeira clips Prochazka on the side of the head, and Prochazka is rocked and still somehow on his feet. Teixeira lands to the same spot, and he follows it with a takedown instead of trying to knock the Czech fighter out. Teixeira steps over into mount with ease, and he delivers a gift in the form of an elbow right on the cut on Prochazka’s eye. Teixeira slams his fist into Prochazka’s face a few more times, and Prochazka looks to kick off the wall and successfully does so to put Teixeira to his knees. Prochazka lays into Teixeira with increasingly powerful right hands, and Teixeira rolls through but falls to his back. Prochazka moves to side control, where he looks for a crucifix but is unable to keep the Brazilian down. Teixeira shifts to his knees, and Prochazka moves to his back and grabs hold of a no-hooks rear-naked choke. Both men are totally spent, but Prochazka seems to have his hands clasped and the choke is surprisingly tight. Using his chest to compress Teixeira down to the mat while he has his grip tight as can be, Prochazka suddenly has the champion in a world of danger. Without any energy to push off or fight the hands, the champ taps out to the choke! He did it! Prochazka finished the fight with about 30 seconds to go, and he is the first fighter to ever tap out the legendary Teixeira. Jiri Prochazka, three bouts into his UFC tenure, is now the UFC light heavyweight champion! What an incredible fight, one that had absolutely everything in the 24-plus minutes that it lasted. With that thriller in the books, this stellar event has now come to a close, one that will likely have multiple “Best of the Year” contenders when 2022 finally concludes. There’s no time to rest, because next week has on paper an excellent lineup of its own in Austin, Texas. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result

Jiri Prochazka def. Glover Teixeira R5 4:32 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)