SINGAPORE (AP) — Jiri Prochazka stopped Glover Teixeira by means of submission with 28 seconds left within the 5th spherical to assert the UFC gentle heavyweight name in a grueling bout at UFC 275 on Sunday.
Prochazka survived just about 5 rounds of constant punishment from the 42-year-old Teixeira, who become a first-time UFC champion at 205 kilos past due ultimate yr. After a back-and-forth battle that left each males minimize and bleeding, the Czech challenger were given into place to execute a choke that ended one of the compelling name bouts in fresh UFC historical past.
Valentina Shevchenko stored her flyweight name with a slender split-decision victory over Taila Santos at Singapore Indoor Stadium, however the Brazilian challenger most likely examined the long-reigning champion greater than any opponent throughout her run of 7 consecutive defenses.
Previous, former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk introduced her retirement after dropping her rematch with Zhang Weili, who knocked out the Polish veteran in the second one spherical with a spinning again fist.
The UFC’s first pay-per-view card from Southeast Asia happened within the morning in Singapore to achieve the profitable U.S. target market on Saturday evening, however the warring parties shook off the early begin to produce a extremely entertaining slate of fights.
The primary match was once a mystery that simplest were given higher whilst Prochazka controlled to conquer a lot of strategic errors with toughness and ability. Prochazka become the fifteenth undisputed UFC champion of what has lengthy been combined martial arts’ glamour department, with previous champions together with Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell and Jon Jones.
Teixeira (33-8) was once up 39-37 on two scorecards heading into the fourth spherical, this means that the Brazilian champion nearly unquestionably would have gained a choice if he had have shyed away from a submission within the ultimate minute.
“Did I glance 42 in the market?” Teixeira requested in a while. “No? Then I’ll stay going.”
Each warring parties landed large pictures from the hole spherical, and Teixeira perceived to flip the bout in his prefer when he harm Prochazka in the second one spherical, sooner or later touchdown an elbow that opened a large minimize above Prochazka’s left eye. Each warring parties had been bleeding from cuts within the 3rd spherical, and Prochazka additionally wobbled Teixeira within the heart rounds earlier than his dramatic end.
Moments previous, Shevchenko (23-3) was once examined from the hole spherical by means of Santos, who gained 4 instantly fights to earn her first UFC name shot. The nearest spherical was once the second one, and Shevchenko got here on sturdy within the ultimate two rounds after escaping a choke from Santos (19-2) that will have ended the battle within the 3rd.
“I left my center in there,” Shevchenko mentioned. “I’ve a real championship thoughts, and I am by no means glad with my efficiency.”
Two judges liked Shevchenko 48-47 and 49-46, whilst the 3rd scored it 48-47 for Santos, whose proper eye was once closed by means of the general bell after an unintentional conflict of heads within the 3rd. Shevchenko’s seven instantly name defenses are essentially the most amongst any energetic champion.
“Sadly, I could not in point of fact see out of my proper eye after it closed,” Santos mentioned. “I noticed two Valentinas. I simply attempted to hit within the heart.”
Shevchenko, the UFC’s 125-pound champion since 2018, has no longer misplaced to any opponent since 2010 as opposed to Amanda Nunes. Shevchenko slightly controlled to steer clear of the destiny of Nunes, whose lengthy reign atop the bantamweight department ended ultimate December.
Zhang (22-3) ruled Jedrzejczyk in a rematch of the ex-champions’ extremely entertaining first assembly in March 2020, when Zhang gained by means of cut up resolution in a bout that Jedrzejczyk insisted she gained. The Chinese language veteran left certainly the second one time, finishing the bout with the impressive spinning strike that ended it.
In a while, Jedrzejczyk (16-5) cited her want for motherhood and a weariness with coaching as her causes for striking up her gloves. She held the strawweight name from 2015 to 2017, creating a report 5 defenses of the strap earlier than dropping it to Rose Namajunas and later dropping to Shevchenko in a shot on the flyweight name.
“It is been twenty years,” Jedrzejczyk mentioned. “I am turning 35 this yr. I wish to be a mother. I wish to be a businesswoman. I have been coaching greater than part of my lifestyles. I like you guys.”
Zhang is prone to get the following shot at strawweight champion Carla Esparza.
