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Jon Anik has a little bit of perception to the mindset of Glover Teixeira — and to say the champion is able to face the chaotic problem of Jiri Prochazka is an understatement.
The sunshine heavyweight championship bout headlines this Saturday’s UFC 275 card in Singapore. Anik, who calls the motion alongside former UFC champions Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping, just lately hung out with the sunshine heavyweight titleholder Teixeira, and there’s something about this explicit matchup that has the submission grappling legend as excited as might be, regardless of quite a lot of followers and bettors suggesting Teixeira is merely simply holding the belt for Prochazka’s potential coronation.
“I suppose it’s exhausting as a result of when a 42-year-old man will get hit, typically talking, it appears to be like completely different than when a 26-year-old man will get hit,” Anik instructed MMA Combating. “I used to be simply in Connecticut with Glover Teixeira final month and, man, he’s able to go proper now. He appears to be like sturdy as an ox, he couldn’t look more healthy, simply actually enthusiastic about being champion and this struggle. I don’t anticipate him to be round all that lengthy, and it definitely stands to purpose given Prochazka’s weaponry on the toes that Glover Teixeira might get knocked out in two minutes, and I don’t know if Glover could be completely shocked by that consequence as a result of Glover is aware of how one can mitigate threat however is keen to take dangers at occasions to get issues executed.
“He’s keen, if he’s shedding, to go get knocked out and exit on his protect, and that’s not one thing you’ll be able to essentially say about all of those fighters. Stylistically, it’s completely fascinating to see what he can do. His confidence in his submission grappling recreation is so sturdy that there might be this type of rising rigidity within the constructing if this struggle does go to the mat. There’s definitely going to be some navigation there, however Glover hit Jan Blachowicz exhausting with a left hand and that was type of the start of the tip for Jan, so I believe Glover has quite a lot of confidence in his power and conditioning, in his personal energy, however I believe it’s fairly clear the place each of those guys respectably wish to take the struggle.”
Teixeira captured the title with a dominant second-round submission of Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267 this previous October that prolonged his unimaginable run of wins to 6 fights.
Prochazka, a former RIZIN champion, is 2-0 within the UFC with two devastating finishes of Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes. Within the latter struggle in Could 2021, Reyes had Prochazka in bother at factors, even getting full mount within the second spherical, earlier than Prochazka unleashed the highlight-reel spinning again elbow that completed the bout.
If Teixeira finds himself in such an advantageous place on Saturday, the champ may have an excellent likelihood to finish the struggle — though Anik believes, like most, that Prochazka has been working tirelessly on ensuring that doesn’t occur.
“I strive to not get to predictive since I’m really calling the fights, however I believe developmentally it stands to purpose that Jiri Prochazka, realizing this might be the kind of problem he’d need to navigate, could be higher in principle than he was for the Dominick Reyes struggle,” Anik stated. “Glover’s recreation is so nuanced on the bottom, there are ranges to the sport in MMA as my broadcast companions say lots, however I do respect the shine on Prochazka as effectively.
“There’s guys on his Wikipedia web page which you can’t click on on, however there’s additionally Olympic gold medalists in Judo and different names, however I believe the physique of labor for Prochazka largely is underappreciated. I do assume he’s primed, he’s primal, I believe there was a purpose he was an alternate [for UFC 267]. I believe he could be an unbelievable champion for the UFC, aesthetically off the charts by way of his fashion, his mass enchantment, so I’m excited to see what he does with the chance. But when I had been Jiri and I might type of handpick a man in my bracket, I in all probability wouldn’t decide Glover Teixeira, regardless that he’s 42.”
If Prochazka is profitable on Saturday, he’ll turn out to be UFC champion in simply his third promotional struggle. Seeing fighters instantly emerge after coming over to the UFC as stars in different promotions resembling Anderson Silva wouldn’t be one thing new, however it might be extremely spectacular within the eyes of the longtime play-by-play voice.
“Brock Lesnar was very inexperienced and issues occurred for him shortly within the UFC, and I do consider largely that his physique of labor is underappreciated if you take a look at his wins in opposition to Randy Couture and Shane Carwin,” Anik defined. “However, man, I simply take a look at Jiri’s expertise and I don’t know the reply why he wasn’t within the UFC sooner, however it’s fascinating why it occurred at this cut-off date.
“Largely, I believe he deserves to be a 2-to-1 favourite and he’s getting this struggle on the proper time. Generally I really feel like fast finishes can go away you with much less to wrap your head round, however I believe we’re all type of fascinated by Jiri Prochazka, and I don’t assume they’re going to make him minimize his hair earlier than the struggle.”
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