REPORT | Glover Teixeira Defends Title Against Jiri Prochazka At UFC 274 On May 7.
A UFC light heavyweight championship bout between reigning titleholder, Glover Teixeira, and the surging #1 ranked contender, Jiri Prochakza has been booked for UFC 274 on May 7. – with the event expected to take place from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Attempting his first defense of the light heavyweight crown, Minas Gerais veteran, Glover Texeira managed to scoop the undisputed title at the second time of trying back in October in the main event of UFC 268 – stopping defending champion, Jan Blachowicz with a one-sided second round rear-naked choke in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Glover Teixeira finally clinched UFC gold following a prior title challenge loss to Jon Jones
2-0 in the UFC since his July 2021 debut, former Rizin FF light heavyweight champion, Prochazka most recently headlined UFC Vegas 25 in May – stopping two-time light heavyweight title chaser, Dominick Reyes with a Knockout of the Year contender courtesy of a stunning spinning-back elbow. ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto was first to report the news of Teixeira vs. Prochazka.
In the midst of a stunning six-fight winning spree, Connecticut resident, Glover Teixeira will make a Brazil homecoming for the first time since a November 2015 knockout win over Patrick Cummins.
The veteran 42-year-old earned his second promotional title tilt with a third round rear-naked choke win over compatriot, Thiago Santos back in November 2020, which followed a one-sided bludgeoning of Anthony Smith in May of that year. To go with those finishes, Teixeira also bested Nikita Krylov, Ion Cutelaba, and Karl Roberson on his run to the title.
28-3-1 as a professional, Czech Republic-born wrecker, Prochazka made his much-anticipated UFC bow back in July of last 2020 at UFC 251 on ‘Fight Island’ – stopping one-time title challenger, Volkan Oezdemir with a spectacular one punch knockout in the second round.
The knockout win came as Prochazka’s whopping twenty fifth professionally. And the 29-year-old is undefeated since April 2016, embarking on a run of 12 consecutive wins over the likes of Karl Albrektsson, Brandon Halsey, Muhammad Lawal, Fabio Maldonado, and C.B. Dollaway – prior to his wins against both Oezdemir and Reyes.
