After a terrific back-and-forth battle on the feet and the mat tonightat UFC 275, Jiri Prochazka left it until just 28 seconds before the end of the fight to seize on a rear-naked choke submission to tap-out Glover Teixeira and win the light-heavyweight title.
Round One:
The light-heavyweight main event title fight is underway in Singapore!
Head kick attempt from Teixeira. Now a body kick lands for Teixeira. Prochazka with a calf kick. Another body kick from Teixeira.
They both exchange strikes at close range. Teixeira in on a single leg attempt and after a brief struggle lands it.
Teixeira immediately landing some ground and pound from in Prochazka’s guard. Prochazka starts to try to get back to his feet, but Teixeira is on him and keeps him grounded and improves his position in the process, briefly working in side control and then to north-south position.
However, Prochazka then manages to burst back to his feet. Prochazka attempts a flying knee. He lands a strike.
Heavy punch lands for Teixeira. Now Teixeira gets another single-leg takedown and this time he quickly is able to seize full mount.
60 seconds to go and Teixeira is landing punches. Prochazka tries to push him away and Teixeira scrambles around to his back. The champ is slipping off his back though and in the process working for an armbar. He doesn’t get that though and Prochazka is free and now he gets on top and starts landing big bombs in the final seconds of the round that were troubling Teixeira.
Round Two:
Eye poke on Prochazka, but he is eager to get back to the action rather than get a chance to recover.
Prochazka resetting and then suddenly throws a fast front kick upstairs, but it just whistles past Teixeira’s face.
Front kick to the body from Teixeira. Overhand from Teixeira just misses. Hard jab from Prochazka lands solidly and then a jumping knee behind it.
More punches landing for Prochazka now and Teixeira seems troubled and goes to the mat. Teixeira soon back up, but Prochazka is immediately pressuring again with more good punches.
Teixeira recognises he needs to switch things up and goes for the single leg again, but this time Prochazka defends it.
Elbow strikes from Prochazka. Hard lefts and rights connecting from Prochazka. He leaves himself a bit overexposed though and Teixeira catches him with a punch and he stumbles to the mat.
Teixeira gets on top and lands a few ground and pound punches. He’s working in half-guard in the final minute of the round but taking his time. He manages to get to full mount and starts landing massive elbows, opening up a nasty cut right across Prochazka’s left eyebrow. Teixeira bleeding from the nose as he walks back to his corner too though.
Round Three:
The doctor looks at that big cut on Prochazka but allows the fight to continue.
Head kick attempt from Prochazka. Now a body punch. He tries to get a piercing left hand threw. He gets glanced by a blow and another one. Teixeira tries to bait him to go to the mat, but he doesn’t buy it and motions for him to stand back up.
Again Prochazka lands cleanly. They exchange low kicks. Light jabs from Prochazka. Teixeira clinches up for a moment. They separate and Prochazka lands another solid punch.
Teixeira tries for the takedown, but fails and looks a bit tired as he stands back up again.
Jumping knee from Prochazka, but Teixeira counters by landing a takedown. Prochazka able to drive back up to his feet and presses Teixeira into the cage.
Back to striking they go and Prochazka lands a big body shot. Teixeira clinching up.
Big unorthodox elbow from Prochazka. He lands hard to the body and Teixeira tries for a takedown that doesn’t work out.
Prochazka on top now and landing more strikes. Teixeira bloodied here. Prochazka attempts to set up a submission, but it allows Teixeira to not only escape but get on top. Teixeira back to his ground and pound strikes and lands a good elbow in the final stages of the round.
Round Four:
Left and right hand lands for Teixeira and then continues to throw strikes behind that. Head kick attempt from him. Prochazka lands a punch to the body. Now a kick to the midsection too.
Prochazka connects upstairs. Right hand from Teixeira and Prochazka blasts him with a few heavy hands.
Prochazka with a nice punch of his own and now he’s working for takedown and lands it. Teixeira in side control here with well over three minutes to work.
Teixeira goes to take full mount and almost has Teixeira’s back, but then does settle into full mount.
Now Teixeira is going for an arm triangle, but isn’t fully committing to it yet. He looks to be giving up on it, but then suddenly goes back to it and it’s in much tighter and he drops off to the side with it.
However, Prochazka is able to break free and gets on top himself, throwing down a series of punches and then tries to settle in half-guard.
Teixeira does a good job of suddenly timing a nice transition on top. However, Prochazka then manages to get back on top himself as the action ebbs and flows and he ends the round there.
Round Five:
Front kick to the body from Teixeira. Now punches get through for him. Prochazka tries for a punch, but Teixeira returns fire with a huge punch that rocks Prochazka.
Teixeira trying to follow up on that, but then drops down attempting a guillotine choke and it doesn’t pay off for him and Prochazka is able to get on top.
Teixeira soon manages to get back up though. Teixeira lands a good punch. Now he’s in on a takedown attempt against the cage. He partially gets it, but Prochazka gets back up.
Teixeira connects with a punch. Another couple of hard ones blast him in the face. Teixeira looking for a takedown again and lands it, then quickly moves to full mount.
90 seconds to go and Prochazka is trying to wall walk on the cage, then pushes off and manages to get on top with Teixeira turtled up on his knees.
They jockey for position and Teixeira ends up turtled on his knees again and Prochazka suddenly goes for a rear-naked choke from that position and it seems to catch the veteran off-guard and he is forced to tap out soon afterwards!
Jiri Prochazka is your new light-heavyweight champion, sealing the deal via submission at 4.32mins of the final round of this memorable fight.
