The UFC has finalized a light heavyweight title fight for their May PPV. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report this afternoon that the promotion has finalized the first title defense for Glover Teixeira (33-7) as he will take on Jiri Prochazka (28-3-1).
The matchup will take place at UFC 274 on May 7th. It’s not been confirmed, but there are preliminary talks about having this May PPV take place in Brazil. However, given the up and down nature of the pandemic, that is far from confirmed.
However, for the Brazilian fans, the UFC returning to London in March should be a good sign. For the last couple of years, many in the MMA scene have said that the best light heavyweight in the world not named Jon Jones was Jiri Prochazka.
Prochazka made his highly anticipated UFC debut back on Fight Island in 2020. He knocked out former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir in his first fight. After that, he got a headliner against former title challenger and top contender Dominick Reyes.
Prochazka left no doubts as to where he stands in that performance. He dominated the former UFC title challenger and knocked him out with a brutal spinning back elbow. Now, he’s finally getting his chance to prove he’s the best in the world.
UFC homecoming for Glover?
Want a feel good story in the UFC? Look no further than the current light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira. Teixeira was widely considered to be one of the best light heavyweights in the world early on in his career. However, visa issues kept him out of the UFC for a long time.
Finally, he got his chance back in 2012. He won his first five fights which earned him a shot against Jon Jones at UFC 172. Teixeira came up short that night and then dropped a fight to Phil Davis. After the Davis loss, Teixeira went 5-3 in his next eight fights.
After a decision loss to Corey Anderson in 2018, many wondered if Teixeira would ever make another run. However, he turned things around in a big way. He started knocking off young contenders and worked his way back to the top of the division.
Stoppages over former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos earned him a shot at UFC 267. At UFC 267, he took on The Polish Power, Jan Blachowicz. Many weren’t giving him a chance, however, the 42 year old proved everyone wrong and finally climbed the mountain to become champion.
Now, he could potentially be making his first title defense on home soil. It’s going to be incredibly tough as Prochazka is likely going to be the favorite at UFC 274. However, if there’s anyone you shouldn’t count out, it’s Glover Teixeira.