UFC 275: Teixeira vs. Prochazka – Winners and Losers

MMA’s shiny new thing left the octagon in Singapore with a big quantity of harm, a passing grade and a few questions. That in fact is Jiri Prochazka, who additionally walked out of the cage on Saturday night time with the UFC light heavyweight title.

UFC fighters (previous and current) had plenty of things to say about the primary occasion of UFC 275, calling it “insane,” “inspirational,” “on the spot basic,” “one of many biggest title fights of all time,” and an “emotional rollercoaster.” Essentially the most even-keeled adjective I noticed supplied was from UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, who merely referred to as it a “great struggle.” It was all of these issues — and extra, a lot extra.

Glover Teixeira’s reign as UFC gentle heavyweight champion didn’t final lengthy — spanning somewhat over seven months — however it started and led to memorable style. And at 42, the now former champ ought to look again on his time as champ with delight and a way of accomplishment for what he achieved over a protracted — and presumably nonetheless lively — profession.

Within the co-main occasion, Valentina Shevchenko obtained the most important check of her run because the UFC flyweight champion.

In the meantime, within the rematch of 2020’s “Fight of the Year,” Zhang Weili dominated Joanna Jedrzejczyk and despatched her into retirement whereas incomes herself a shot at UFC strawweight champ Carla Esparza.

Learn on for the winners and losers of UFC 275, which occurred at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore on Saturday, June 11. The primary card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Winners:

Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka: In what was a rollercoaster of a struggle, the place each the champion and the challenger regarded like they had been going to complete or be completed at a number of factors in the course of the absurd motion, it was the challenger who finally prevailed. That Prochazka, who is understood for his placing, submitted Teixeira, who is without doubt one of the best grapplers at gentle heavyweight, was simply one other zany facet of what was a bonkers 24:32 of motion contained in the octagon.

Each Teixeira and Prochazka had been aggressive and made errors on this contest. Each fighters gave the impression to be operating on fumes by the point Teixeira tapped — for the primary time in his 20-year profession — and each fighters deserve all of the reward they are going to have heaped on them right this moment, tomorrow and for the foreseeable future.

Taila Santos: Taila Santos matched Valentina Shevchenko in power and that appeared to shock the champion and likewise almost earned Santos the victory.

One factor that harm Santos was that she was not notably aggressive on the mat. She did seek for submissions on the bottom (logging three official submission makes an attempt), however her persistence on the mat might have labored towards her on the scorecards.

One other factor that harm Santos was the conflict of heads that restricted her imaginative and prescient within the remaining two rounds of the struggle.

General, Santos gave Shevchenko the biggest test of her UFC title reign.

Zhang Weili: Zhang Weili punched her ticket to a struggle reverse UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza in a most frightening manner. Zhang landed a spinning backfist that turned out Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s lights and left Jedrzejczyk facedown on a UFC emblem on the canvas.

Zhang’s counters had been on level all through the struggle, which ended on the 2:28 mark of the second stanza. Zhang was stronger than Jedrzejczyk within the clinch and on the mat and her strikes had been extra highly effective as nicely.

If Zhang wanted a confidence enhance after dropping back-to-back fights to Rose Namajunas she obtained that on Saturday night time

Jake Matthews: After Jake Matthews defeated Diego Sanchez at UFC 253, I wrote that Matthews appeared extra concerned about preventing for a win than in preventing for a end. That was one hundred pc not the case on Saturday when Matthews completely overwhelmed the surging Andre Fialho. Matthews’ boxing regarded unimaginable in scoring the second-round end. The knockout was Matthews’ first TKO win since 2015.

Matthews stated he was going to be extra aggressive on this struggle. He was. At 27, Matthews nonetheless has plenty of time to work his method up the welterweight rankings. If he’s going to be a unique fighter going ahead, UFC 275 may very well be a card we glance again on because the occasion the place Matthews turned issues round.

Jack Della Maddalena: Jack Della Maddalena put himself on the “Fighter to watch” record forward of his UFC debut at UFC 270. On Saturday, the 25-year-old Aussie grew to become the primary UFC fighter to attain a stoppage win over Ramazan Emeev.

Della Maddalena labored by way of some powerful spots within the early going of this struggle. He did a pleasant job of wrestling with Emeev, however he nonetheless ended up in a decent choke. Della Maddalena didn’t panic when he was in that precarious place. As an alternative, he labored free and obtained the struggle again to the toes the place he harm Emeev badly with physique strikes that led to the end.

Seung Woo Choi vs. Joshua Culibao: Seung Woo Choi and Joshua Culibao placed on a remarkably entertaining scrap to shut out the UFC 275 prelims. The bout noticed Culibao use his energy, pace and talent to struggle successfully from orthodox or southpaw to earn the win over Choi, who showcased a powerful chin to go together with some excellent tenacity.

Hayisaer Maheshate: The 22-year-old Hayisaer Maheshate made fairly an impression in his UFC debut, making the most of the lax protection of Steve Garcia and scoring a nasty first-round knockout win with a brutal counter.

Brendan Allen: Props go to Brendan Allen for listening to his nook and delivering an aggressive third spherical in his struggle towards Jacob Malkoun.

Kang Kyung-ho: Kang Kyung-ho placed on a pleasant technical placing show on his strategy to a win over Danaa Batgerel, however his struggle IQ nonetheless wants some work. There have been a pair occasions in the course of the contest the place he appeared to harm his opponent and as a substitute of pursuing a end with a flurry, he went with a low proportion assault, throwing a spinning elbow as soon as and a leaping knee one other time. Each strikes failed to attach and allowed Batgerel to remain within the struggle.

Kang is a fighter to look at and if he can get his ending assaults dialed in, he might make some noise at 135 kilos.

Silvana Gómez Juárez: Silvana Gómez Juárez scored her first UFC win — and stoppage — together with her seventh profession knockout win and it was a clear knockout. Juárez entered UFC 275 with two consecutive first-round submission losses on her report, so it’s seemingly she saved her UFC profession together with her spectacular and highly effective KO.

The Singapore followers: Not like many U.S. based mostly struggle playing cards, the followers confirmed up early for UFC 275 and so they had been vocal from the opening of the primary struggle of the cardboard, despite the fact that the occasion began at 7 a.m. on Sunday in Singapore.

Losers:

Joanna Jedrzejczyk: Joanna Jedrzejczyk guess on herself forward of UFC 275. She sat out for over two years and saved repeating the “large fights” solely chorus. Jedrzejczyk’s gambit landed her the rematch with Zhang Weili, however the gamble didn’t repay in some other method as Zhang knocked her out in devastating style.

Andre Fialho: Andre Fialho scored back-to-back knockout wins in March and April. He regarded to make it three in a row at UFC 275. As an alternative, Fialho was on the improper finish of a TKO, dropping to Jake Matthews within the second spherical.

Fialho supplied little in the way in which of protection on this struggle and he appeared misplaced as Matthews scored together with his pace, energy and precision. Matthews introduced no matter momentum Fialho had on his aspect to a screeching halt on Saturday night time.

Micheal Bisping: Whereas Seung Woo Choi and Josh Culibao had been tangling on the mat in the course of the third spherical of their struggle, UFC commentator Michael Bisping supplied the next, “No want to clarify what’s happening right here.” Which leads me to ask, nicely, what’s he sitting cageside for then?

Referee Thomas Fan: I don’t understand how, however referee Thomas Fan missed a blatant unlawful knee in the course of the bout between Kang Kyung-ho and Danaa Batgerel. Fan didn’t pause the motion to verify on the fighter nor did he warn the fighter that landed the unlawful blow.

Referee Steve Perceval: I’m not going to go as far as to say that the cage seize Silvana Gómez Juárez used to stop Liang Na from taking her down within the early moments of their struggle led on to her knockout win, however I gained’t say that it didn’t. Referees have to be extra conscious of fence grabs that may very well be perceived as stopping takedowns and maybe award the place to the fighter that was on the improper finish of the foul.

UFC: There was no purpose for Daniel Cormier to interview Joanna Jedrzejczyk after Zhang Weili knocked her out. The promotion ought to have despatched her to the again to get checked by a doctor after which — if she was cleared — she might have been interviewed in a extra managed and fewer chaotic atmosphere backstage.

The cageside doctor: With Taila Santos’ eye swelling shut after a conflict of heads with Valentina Shevchenko, referee Jason Herzog referred to as the doctor in to check out the injury. The extent of the physician’s examination gave the impression to be to ask Santos if she might see. From all appearances on the printed, the physician didn’t even fake to do the “cowl the nice eye and ask what number of fingers” check. I’m not saying Santos couldn’t see. I’m saying the physician didn’t hassle to verify if she couldn’t see and that’s a failure.

Neither:

Valentina Shevchenko: Valentina Shevchenko normally has a power benefit in her flyweight fights. She didn’t have that towards Taila Santos and that truth by no means actually appeared to sink in for the 125-pound champion. She frequently tried to tangle with Santos in shut, despite the fact that doing so allowed Santos to build up an excellent quantity of management time over the primary three stanzas.

It’ll be fascinating to see the place Shevchenko goes after this struggle. With seven title defenses to her title, she has been the champion each different flyweight has been coaching for over that previous few years. The Santos struggle may need marked the second when the division catches as much as the champion.

Sure, Shevchenko retained her title, however I don’t know if I’d think about this struggle a win for the champ a lot as I’d name it a continuation.

Jacob Malkoun: Jacob Malkoun solely has eight professional fights to his title and he’s studying on the job within the UFC, which isn’t perfect, however he’s studying. A superb wrestler with the flexibility to manage fighters on the bottom, Malkoun displayed a pleasant jab towards Brendan Allen, however he ended up on the improper finish of a choice on this win. If Malkoun provides a number of extra offensive instruments to his arsenal, he may very well be a irritating opponent.

Joselyne Edwards: Joselyne Edwards gained her struggle towards Ramona Pascual, however her reliance on kicks to the legs and physique harm her within the early going of the struggle. Edwards put out plenty of quantity, however she didn’t do quite a lot of injury within the first 10 minutes of the struggle.

Ramona Pascual: Ramona Pascual’s placing was not good in her UFC debut, a loss to Josiane Nunes. Pascual, who has been working with John Wooden and the crew at Syndicate MMA nonetheless has work to to do in her placing, however she confirmed enchancment in that division towards Joselyne Edwards. What she didn’t present was confidence in that placing, as she too usually fell again into her wrestling even when it was not working.