Last October, Glover Teixeira became the oldest champion in UFC history, earning the light heavyweight from Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. This Saturday in Singapore, he makes his first defense in the headline event at UFC 275: Teixeira vs Prochaska. Of course, that is just one of the two title fights on the card at Singapore Indoor Stadium. In the co-main event, the top pound-for-pound women’s fighter Valentina Shevchenko eyes her seventh title defense as fourth-ranked Taila Santos makes her first title push.
How to Watch UFC 275: Teixeira vs Prochoska
- When: Saturday, June 11, 2022
- Where: Singapore Indoor Stadium – Singapore
- Early Prelims Start Time: 6:30 p.m. EST / 3:30 p.m. PST
- Prelims Start Time: 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST
- Main Card Start Time: 10 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. PST
- How to Watch: ESPN+ / PPV
It has been three years since the UFC last traveled to Singapore, and this time, the nation is hosting one of the biggest fight cards of the year. Supporting the main card full of championship talent, the early preliminary and preliminary cards are both stacked with talent from the Pacific region. South Korea’s “Mr. Perfect” Kyung Ho Kang and Seungwoo “Sting” Choi will headline the early card and preliminary cards respectively, both looking to rebound off of losses in their last appearances. In the women’s division, China’s Liang Na and Ramona Pascual also look for redemption in the event’s first two fights.
Another storyline that everyone is following on Saturday is that of Andre Fialho, a welterweight who joined the roster this year. Since his Octagon debut in January, Fialho was already fought three times. He finished both his second and third fights in the first round by TKO, allowing him to stay fresh for yet a fourth contest in just six months. If he blows through his next challenge, Jake Matthews, Dana White will seriously have to up the difficulty of opponent for Fialho.
Main Event / Co-Main Event Preview
If he can emerge victorious, Teixeira, now 42 years old, would defy the odds and surpass his outstanding mark of longevity. Jiri Prochaska, however, isn’t going to just let Teixeira add a ruby to the championship belt with a successful defense. Riding a 12-fight winning streak (2-0 in the UFC), he believes it is his time to reign atop the UFC’s lightweight division.
Glover Teixeira UFC 275 INTERVIEW: Talking with the Light Heavyweight Champion
If it is indeed Prochaska’s time, many believe it could be the end of Teixeira’s. Prochaska is 13 years younger than his opponent and has the youthful power that is the opposite of Teixeira’s wrestling prowess. It is no surprise that Prochaska is the betting favorite to win (-200), finishing 23 of his 34 career fights in the first round. Teixeira told AAMMA’s Ryan Jarrell in May that he is used to being the underdog, saying “I’ve been the underdog for the last six fights. I don’t want it to change!” He, of course, has won each of those fights.
In the co-main event, Shevchenko is in her prime and looking to continue her dominance in the women’s flyweight division. If she can win on Saturday, her seventh successful title defense will tie her with Jose Aldo for the fifth-most title defenses of all time. Her opponent Santos said this week that she believes she has found flaws in the champion’s game, and will look to exploit them.
UFC 275: Teixeira vs Prochaska Fight Card & Odds
Main Card
- (C) Glover Teixeira (+170) vs #2 Jiri Prochaska (-200) – Light Heavyweight Title Fight
- (C) Valentina Shevchenko (-630) vs #4 Taila Santos (+450) – Women’s Flyweight Title Fight
- #2 Zhang Weili (-160) vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk (+140) – Women’s Strawweight
- #8 Rogerio Bontorin (+180) vs #14 Manel Kape (-220) – Flyweight CANCELLED
- Jack Della Maddalena (-155) vs Ramazan Emeev (+135) – Welterweight
Prelims
- Seungwoo Choi (-225) vs Josh Culibao (+185) – Featherweight
- Brendan Allen (-310) vs Jacob Malkoun (+245) – Middleweight
- Maheshate (+150) vs Steve Garcia (-170) – Lightweight
- Andre Fialho (-145) vs Jake Matthews (+125) – Welterweight
Early Prelims
- Kyung Ho Kang (+120) vs Batgerel Danaa (-140) – Bantamweight
- Liang Na (+115) vs Silvana Gomez Juarez (-135) – Women’s Strawweight
- Ramona Pascual (+140) vs Joselyne Edwards (-160) – Women’s Featherweight
