Israel Adesanya predicts a knockout victory for Alex Pereira over Khalil Rountree in the UFC 307 main event. Adesanya believes Pereira’s striking advantage and Rountree’s reliance on striking will favor the reigning champion. The matchup promises to be a thrilling showcase of skill and athleticism.
Following his UFC 305 main event submission defeat to bitter rival Dricus du Plessis, former two-time champion Israel Adesanya finds himself in a less than ideal position. His flawless and flamboyant reign over 185 pounds is beginning to become an increasingly distant memory. I will admit, seeing Stylebender gloveless in the moments after his most recent outing did briefly show the possibility of retirement, but that was quickly set straight by the former kickboxer. Adesanya is not finished yet, however, his next step is arguably his most pivotal to date. The top of the Middleweight division is thriving at the moment, with recognised names and emerging talent both in high supply. On paper, this should provide Adesanya with a clear option moving forward. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Du Plessis and Strickland are likely to rematch, he’s already dispatched of Whittaker, Vettori and Cannonier, and I doubt names like Borralho, Imavov or Allen really entise him. Khamzat Chimaev would be a scintillating prospect if he can get past Whittaker later this year, but Borz will almost certainly be looking at a title shot should he get his hand raised in Abu Dhabi. Enter Michael Chiesa. The former Ultimate Fighter winner played matchmaker following the conclusion of Cannonier vs Borralho, and I must say, he absolutely nailed it. The correct move has to be a showdown with Jiri Prochazka. The Czech fighter is in a fairly comparable position to Adesanya at the moment following back-to-back championship KO losses to Alex Pereira either side of a typically enthralling win over Rakić at UFC 300. The former Light Heavyweight Champion is standing at a crucial career junction as well. Stylistically this one is just absolute gold too. Even in defeat, Adesanya’s smooth, calculated striking was on full display. Couple that with the erratic, unorthodox and frankly unhinged approach of Prochazka and ladies and gentlemen, we have a barnburner. Jiri’s size and explosiveness pitted against Adesanya’s cunning and swagger? Sign me up. But there are more factors at play here. BJP has been hinting at a drop down to 185 practically ever since UFC 303, and Izzy has been clear on his desire to take another swing at 205 for some time now. If I’m Prochazka, I’m pushing for this one at Middleweight. A fresh start in a new division. But for Adesanya, a big win over one of Light Heavyweight’s best draws us towards a potential trilogy with a certain scary Brazilian. Chama? To summarize, Israel Adesanya vs Jiri Prochazka is as compelling as it is potentially career ending, for both. Another high profile loss on either side could end all hope of reclaiming UFC gold. Get these gentlemen booked in for a 5 round co-main on pay-per-view. It could even headline if the rest of the card is strong enough. Will it come to fruition? Who knows. Do I want to see it? Absolutely.
A preview of the UFC 295 main card: The much-awaited Madison Square Garden card taking place in New York City is finally taking place. Changes to the main event and disruptions on the way, it is finally here. The card contains 2 title fights with many contender matchups on the way. A lot on the line here is a preview of the highly anticipated main card. Diego Lopes VS Pat Sabatini: This will be Sabatini’s 7th matchup in the UFC as he hopes to go 6-1 and start a lengthy win streak. Sabatini recently defeated Lucas Almeida via submission. Furthermore, he has a good relationship with Paul Felder having both come from Pennsylvania. Sabatini looks to derail Lopes’ hype and emerging fanbase. In Contrast, Lopes has become a fan favorite on social media, as a result of his brilliant performance against Movsar Evloev on short notice. He put up an impressive performance displaying great defensive grappling. Lopes continued his form with a win over Gavin Tucker solidifying his spot in the UFC. This fight gives both men opportunity to rise up the rankings in what could be an end-to-end war in the featherweight division. Matt Frevola VS Benoit Saint-Denis: Following back-to-back losses to Tsarukyan and McKinney, Frevola has come back going on a 3 fight-win streak. He has now found himself #14th ranked at lightweight after defeating Drew Dober at UFC 288. The hometown hero hopes to display a captivating performance to his home crowd like he did at UFC 281 and 288. This won’t be an easy fight as he faces Saint-Denis. Saint-Denis is on a 4 fight win streak, having recently defeated Thiago Moises in front of a packed-out crowd in Paris. Denis holds a lot of hype and looks to surge up the rankings. He is still young at 27 years old and has an array of finishes in the UFC with 2 knockouts and 2 submissions. Coming off a fight of the night honor at UFC Paris previously. He wants to continue the win streak and a win on Saturday night will give him a ranking. Mackenzie Dern VS Jessica Andrade: Dern, a master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, looks to follow her win over Angela Hill. Andrade will be her toughest test to date but a win on Saturday night catapults her into the title picture. A long and experienced career in the UFC for Dern gives her a good advantage. Andrade having lost her last 3 fights in a row could be seen as a must-win for Dern. Despite this Andrade has fought the best in the division for years. Multiple title fights with Namajunas and Andrade give her great experience in battling adversity. Close fights with Namajunas could have seen her champion but never happened. Now Andrade finds herself on a 3 fight skid and needs change in order to beat her Brazilian compatriot. Sergei Pavlovich VS Tom Aspinall: The interim UFC heavyweight clash replacing Jones vs Miocic sees the young and hungry heavyweights go head to head. A short noticed battle with 2 fighters with the lowest octagon duration rarely making it past 3 minutes. Aspinall comes on short notice like his Mancunian friend Michael Bisping. Aspinall since his horrific injury fought Tybura and demolished him showing he is great in the division. He’s quick and moves like a middleweight which isn’t normal for a heavyweight. He signifies a new breed of heavyweight going to the top. His opponent Sergei Pavlovich, is a knockout artist. Finishing Tuivasa, Lewis, and Blaydes shows his perfect power. Pavlovich will look to use his heavy hands to finish Aspinall. The opposite styles of the 2 fighters create a very intriguing matchup for the viewer. The heavy hands of Pavlovich and the quick, light-on-the-feet style from Aspinall. Jiri Prochazka VS Alex Pereira The much-awaited return of Prochazka as he takes on the former middleweight champion Pereira. High-quality striking should be put on display given their history and styles. Prochazka coming back from one of the worst injuries in UFC history. He returns just a year after his title victory. The once champion looks to do it again. Pereira wants to avenge teammate Glover Teixeira. The kickboxing of Pereira is elite and he will want to exercise that on the night. Poatan coming off the back of his win against Jan Blachowicz, a brilliant display of his sensational skill set. Endless possibilities in this bout considering the unorthodox and effective striking of Jiri. In contrast to the power and technique of Pereira using the leg kicks.
The Nigerian nightmare is the current P4P king of MMA. He is the undisputed UFC welterweight champion with a remarkable record of 20-1, he has defended his belt 5 times and is on the brink of lapping his division with only a few worthy contenders still standing. But while one would think being the best in your division would suffice, it is not enough for the champ. Kamaru Usman has been extremely vocal in wanting to crossover to boxing and face one of the greatest boxers ever and take on 4 division champ Canelo Alvarez at his own game. While this seems highly unlikely, many fans are now saying his new goal is just as absurd and unattainable. In a recent interview with TMZ, Kamaru said that his focus is on defeating Leon a second time, but that after his victory his sights are set on 205 regardless of who the champ may be at that time. A backstage photo also fanned the flames a bit as the champ was seen facing off with former 205 champion Jan Blachowicz. Usman has also made it clear that he would skip over 185 and not fight his friend Adesanya, who he claims would only fight for 100 million. There is a 35-pound difference from 170 to 205, but as we know Usman won’t have to shed a single ounce for this bout. But just because there is no weight cut doesn’t make this fight any easier. Adesanya made the leap from 185 and took on a much larger champion in Jan and came up short largely due to being outsized and outmuscled. While Usman has been known for his grappling ability, he has developed a new and improved striking style that has allowed him to finish 3 of his last 5 opponents by KO or TKO. Of the 3 top 205’ers, we have the champ Jiri who is a lethal striker, Jan who is pure Polish power, and Glover who can strike but is an anaconda on the ground. Regardless of who is champion when and if the fight happens, Usman will have his work cut out for him. Usman is scheduled for his 6th title defense on August 20th in Salt Lake City Utah, against former opponent Leon Edwards who is on a 9-fight win streak and has yet to lose since he first fought Usman in 2015.
Almost one week has passed and the light heavyweight division has a new champion once again, this time in the form of Czech fighter Jiří Procházka (29-3-1) who submitted Glover Teixeira in the final seconds of UFC 275. While Jiří received a hero’s welcome, with a massive audience celebrating their first-ever UFC champion, he already has a line of hungry contenders that are waiting in the wings for a crack at the title. For example, Jiri had been champ for a whole 5 minutes before being confronted by Jan Blachowicz who was saying he’s next. So that begs the question who is next for the champ and how will this affect the light heavyweight division that was once ruled with an iron fist by the likes of Jon Jones. Brendan Schaub recently said on a video that he believes the belt will be passed around with none of the champs being able to measure to Jon Jones. As usual, the champ has the pick of the litter and is in a weight class with many intriguing matchups. Outside of the top 5, only Paul Craig would have earned some sort of a shot but he still needs more high-level competition. But in the top 5, we have #4 Magomed Ankalaev and #5 Anthony Smith who are booked in what could be the next title eliminator. That leaves the top 3 who are #1 Glover Teixeira, #2 Jan Blachowicz and #3 Aleksandar Rakic. As fans know Rakic is out indefinitely with a significant knee injury and lost his fight vs Jan. A rematch with Glover would be great considering how much of a back and forth we saw, but that just happened and the UFC isn’t overly keen on giving out rematches to just anyone including former champs who were submitted. That leaves another former champ as one of the more logical options in Jan Blachowicz, who was ringside for the main event. The ma known as Polish Power was successful in his first fight since losing the title, while some were less than impressed and believed he lucked out due to Rakic’s injury, one can’t deny that he has the most legitimacy out of the other challengers. Finally, the last thing the UFC could potentially do is give Jan and Glover the chance to settle their rivalry which Glover is currently 1-0 in. This would delay Jiri’s comeback but would clear the air for 2 former champs that believe they deserve next.
UFC 275 is nearly upon us as the UFC is heading back to Singapore with a pair of title fights that will see 205-pound champ Glover Teixeira defend his crown for the first time against Jiri Prochazka in the main event. Valentina Shevchenko will also be defending her belt for a 7th consecutive time when she faces Taila Santos. Finally, we have the return of two former champions, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili in one of the most anticipated rematches in women’s MMA history. So here are some picks from the staff at MMA UK News. Glover Teixeira (33-7) vs Jiří Procházka(28-3-1): Bobby Casey: Glover Teixeira Abdul-Ahad Patel: Glover Teixeira Andy Hainey: Glover Teixeira in 3 rounds. Katie Hunter: Glover Teixeira Peter Kox: Jiří Procházka Stoomboy: Jiří Procházka Nico Suarez: Jiří Procházka via 2nd round TKO Danny Jones: Jiří Procházka via TKO Aaron James East: Jiří Procházka for the win TKO round 2 “not what most would pick I know but I think he will shock the world” Jed Leon: Jiří Procházka via 2nd round TKO: “Glover will have a successful round 1 – Jiri too unpredictable and powerful Scores a T/KO early in the second” Frankie Anderson: Jiří Procházka via 2nd or 3rd round TKO: “Even though Glover Teixeira is the champion, this will be his first title defence, Jiri Prochazka’s last 10 fights have ended by TKO/KO” Valentina Shevchenko (22-3) vs Taila Santos (19-1): Stoomboy: Taila Santos Abdul-Ahad Patel: Valentina Shevchenko Andy Hainey: Valentina Shevchenko by stoppage Bobby Casey: Valentina Shevchenko Nico Suarez: Valentina Shevchenko via 4th round TKO Peter Knox: Valentina Shevchenko Danny Jones: Valentina Shevchenko via Decision Aaron James East: Valentina via 3rd round TKO Katie Hunter: Valentina Shevchenko Jed Leon: Shevchenko Round 3 T/KO. “Dictates the pace early and controls the octagon throughout. Finishes the fight after some follow-up shots on the ground” Frankie Anderson: Valentina Shevchenko Unanimous decision: “Valentina Shevchenko is the most dominant champion in the UFC and the huge favourite for this fight. Taila Santos has an impressive pro record, with her only loss coming as a split decision. I think Shevchenko will be too much for her” Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4) vs Zhang Weili (21-3): Nico Suarez: Zhang Weili via Split Decision Aaron James East: Zhang Weili via Unanimous Decision Stoomboy: Zhang Weili Peter Knox: Zhang Weili Katie Hunter: Zhang Weili Andy Hainey: Zhang Weili by stoppage Bobby Casey: Joanna Jedrzejczyk Abdul-Ahad Patel: Joanna Jedrzejczyk Danny Jones: Joanna Jedrzejczyk via Unanimous Decision Jed Leon: Zhang via UD. “Think she controls the fight, close engagements but Zhang just a little more dynamic and faster.” Frankie Anderson: Zhang Weili via Split Decision: “Joanna Jedrzejczyk hasn’t fought in 2 years and could suffer from a bit of ring rust. I can see this one going the distance again and with it only being 3 rounds instead of 5 rounds, I think Weili just edge the first couple of rounds”
The UFC is making its first-ever appearance in the southeast and it’s making it a memorable one as the organization is making its debut in Singapore on June 11th. The event will be headlined by a pair of title fights when Glover Teixeira defends his belt for the first time as he faces rising star Jiri Prochazka, the co-main event will see longtime champion Valentina Schevchenko face #4 ranked Brazilian fighter Taila Santos and the final announced bout will be the return of former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker vs former contender Marvin Vettori. The main event will see newly crowned Champ Glover defend the belt he has so long fought and dedicated his life to. We last saw Glover submit Jan Blachowicz in the second round of their matchup last October, while he remains one of the oldest champions to date, Glover has continuously shown that age is only a number and his skill is world-class. His opponent is no easy feat as Jiri has been on one of the most impressive win streaks (12), while he may only have 2 fights in the UFC he has put all of them away by TKO or KO and has scored 11 straight stoppages along the way, Jiri has developed a reputation of having some of the most lethal striking in his division. What else needs to be said about the most dominant flyweight champ of all time that hasn’t been said already? Valentina is on an 8 fight win streak and has looked unbeatable at 125, she has lapped her division and has made every challenger seem like a sacrificial lamb. On the other side of the cage, we will see Brazilian fighter Taila Santos, since earning a contract on Dana White’s Brazilian contender series, Taila has gone 5-1 and has beaten major names like Molly McCann, Roxanne Modafferi, Jill Robertson and Joanne Wood, her credential and ability is there, and you can bet Taila is looking at Juliana Pena fight vs Amanda Nunes and hoping to repeat as a legend killer. Finally, the Whittaker vs Vetorri fight is one of the most interesting on the card considering this fight could easily headline given the right opportunity. Both fighters are stuck playing second fiddle to champ Israel considering they have both now lost to him twice. So while this fight may hold no real title implications in the eyes of some, it doesn’t change the fact that these are still the best fighters in the division and in a sport where a fighter can be given a title shot at any moment regardless of rank or record one can not sleep on this fight as it has possible fight of the year written all over it.
Paul “BearJew” Craig (16-4-1) has done it again ladies and gents. The Scottish light heavyweight fought this past weekend at UFC London where he pushed his win streak to 6 and has yet to lose since 2019. Craig is currently ranked #8 in the division and is setting himself up for a contender fight with the rest of the murderous row of fighters that are ranked above him. Coming into this fight Paul was coming off a gruesome victory last summer, where he snapped Jamahal Hill’s arm in the 1st round. Since joining the UFC Craig has scored 8 victories and all of them by submission (of 16 career wins 14 are by submission). While the BJJ blackbelt may be taking limbs after every fight, I truly believe that his heart and durability are what makes him such a tenacious fighter. During his fight vs Nikita Krylov, Paul faced adversity that would break most men. He was rocked early on as well as getting hit with some fierce ground and pound that looked like it would be a quick night for the “Bearjew”, but much like his fight against Ankalaev, Paul threw up a hail mary triangle that surprised the fight gods themselves. So what’s next for Craig? Where does he go from here? Well, as it stands these are the 7 fighters who are ahead of Craig. Numbers 7-1 goes as follows Dominick Reyes (12-3), Thiago Santos (22-10), Anthony Smith (36-16), Magomed Ankalaev (17-1), Aleksandar Rakic (14-2), Jiri Prochazka (26-3), Jan Błachowicz (28-9), Champ: Glover Teixeira (33-7). From this list, there are several matchups that are set to take place in the near future like champion Glover facing #2 ranked Jiri, #1 Blachowicz and # 3 Rakic are waiting a new time and place, #4 Ankalaev recently beat #6, Santos. Only Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes are without a dance partner. After his fight, Paul was very vocal that he would love to face Anthony Smith at a Glasgow. This fight makes sense for various reasons, for one Smith is on an impressive 3 fight wins streak stopping all 3 opponents in the 1st round. Considering Smith is ranked ahead of Craig at #5, this could potentially set up a title contender fight against the winners of any of the top 3. This fight would also be every grappler’s dream matchup as both fighters are BJJ experts, they are not only known to use their BJJ expertise to control their opponents but they are especially known for their finishes, as I previously mentioned Craig has 14 career submission wins, while Smith also has 14 of his own. The only dark horse that could potentially get in the way of a Craig vs Smith fight is that of Magomed Ankalaev who Craig beat in the very last second of their fight in 2018. Magomed has not lost since his facing Craig in 2018 and is on an 8 fight win streak. The Dagestani fighter has evolved into a fighter that mauls his opponents and controls every aspect of his fights, so it would be very interesting to see him and Craig matched up once more considering they have both come a long way since their first meeting. Regardless of what happens, I cant wait to see Paul scrap again. whether at the weigh-ins with his blue war paint screaming at the top of his lung, or in the cage showing the world his high level of BJJ and heart. The man is an entertainer inside and outside the cage,
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Glover Teixeira will look to defend his title against Jiří Procházka May 7th at UFC 274, per Brett Okamoto. Fighting out of Bethel, Connecticut, Glover Teixeira personifies perseverance. Born in Sobrália, Minas Gerais, Teixeira made his UFC debut May 26th 2012 at UFC 146, submitting Kyle Kingsbury inside the first round. The debut victory began a five fight win-streak that propelled the Brazilian to a Light Heavyweight Championship fight with Jon Jones at UFC 172, April 26th 2014. Teixeira lost the bout via unanimous decision, and over the course of the following 4 years would amass a 5-4 record from 9 fights. However, at UFC Fight Night 143, January 19th 2019, Teixeira began a five fight win-streak (including 4 stoppage victories) that welcomed a second Light Heavyweight Championship fight at UFC 267. At 42-years old, Teixera dethroned reigning champion Jan Błachowicz via rear-naked choke submission to secure the Light Heavyweight title. Teixeira, however, faces a formidable challenger in Jiří ‘Denisa’ Procházka. The 29-year-old, fighting out of Brno, Czech Republic, holds a 28-3-1 professional record. After showcasing his talents with Japanese promotion Rizin, Procházka made his UFC debut at UFC 251 July 12th 2020, and made an immediate statement with an impressive second round KO of Volkan Oezdemir. The 29-year old made his second, and most recent, octagon appearance at UFC Vegas 25, May 1st 2021, brutalising Dominick Reyes with a sensational spinning back elbow KO that earned both a ‘Performance of the Night’, and ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.