UFC 275 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Teixeira vs. Prochazka

0 of 4

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka are two men on the opposite ends of the legacy-building process at UFC 275.

The two light heavyweights will meet with the title on the line in the main event in Kallang, Singapore.

Teixeira, who walks into Saturday night’s main event as the champion, is trying to build the final bullet points on his resume. It took the 42-year-old nearly a decade to finally get his moment of glory and win the championship.

Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka has been fast-tracked to a title shot. He’s entering the Octagon for just the third time but will be fighting for the title after winning his first two fights in the promotion.

Elsewhere on the card, Valentina Shevchenko will look to earn her seventh-consecutive title defense of her flyweight championship. This time, Taila Santos is the woman trying to end Bullet’s reign.

Here’s a look at the complete schedule and the biggest questions that will be answered on Saturday night.

1 of 4

Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

Main Card (ESPN+ pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

• Glover Teixeira (c) +170 ($100 wager wins $170) vs. Jiri Prochazka -200 (wager $200 to win $100)—light heavyweight championship
• Valentina Shevchenko (c) -630 vs. Taila Santos +450—women’s flyweight championship
• Joanna Jedrzejczyk +125 vs. Zhang Weili -145
• Jack Della Maddalena -160 vs. Ramazan Emeev +140
• Andre Fialho -130 vs. Jake Matthews +110

Prelims (ESPN2/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

• Seungwoo Choi -225 vs. Josh Culibao +185
• Brendan Allen -280 vs. Jacob Malkoun +225
• Steve Garcia -180 vs. Maheshate +155
• Batgerel Danaa -115 vs. Kyung Ho Kang -105

Early Prelims (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)

• Silvana Gomez Juarez -125 vs. Liang Na +105
• Joselyne Edwards -165 vs. Ramona Pascual +145

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

2 of 4

Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

At this point, Jiri Prochazka is the great light heavyweight hope.

Without Jon Jones, the weight class has lacked a top draw. Jones might not be the most-liked champion, but he was one people wanted to tune in to watch.

Since his departure, the two champions have been Jan Blachowicz and Teixeira. Good fighters in their own right, but not ones who are in the running to go down as great champions.

Just two fights into his UFC career, Prochazka has that kind of potential.

The problem is that he doesn’t have an easy out in Teixeira. The Brazilian champion is a savvy veteran with great technique and toughness that has carried him through some wars.

So this is a perfect test to see if Prochazka is ready to become a champion. He’s more athletic and has more power than his opponent, but Teixeira’s smarts and toughness always give him a chance.

Prediction: Prochazka via third-round TKO

3 of 4

Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

Valentina Shevchenko has seen a lot of talent in the Octagon. Yet she’s only lost against one woman since 2015—Amana Nunes.

Nunes is an all-time great in her own right. She may have just lost to Julianna Pena, but we’re still talking about one of the most dominant champions in women’s MMA history.

Shevchenko hasn’t just beaten a lot of fighters. She’s beaten a lot of different types of fighters. She’s neutralized some strong grapplers. She’s outclassed some good strikers.

Not many opponents have brought anything to the table that has allowed them even minor success against the champion.

So it’s fair to wonder what Taila Santos can muster that Shevchenko hasn’t already dealt with. Santos is a good striker, but we’ve only seen her in the UFC against the likes of Gillian Robertson, Molly McCann, Joanne Wood and Roxanne Modafferi.

She isn’t just moving up a step to fight Shevchenko. She’s traveling to a whole other galaxy.

Prediction: Shevchenko via decision

4 of 4

Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

For the fans, it doesn’t get much better than what transpired the last time Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk met in the Octagon. The two put on an absolute slugfest that resulted in a split-decision win for Weili.

For Joanna Violence, she ultimately sacrificed the win for an entertaining fight.

Weili is the more powerful striker of the two. She has fight-changing power, as exhibited in her first-round knockout of Jessica Andrade.

Jedrzejczyk is at her best when she is picking opponents apart from the outside. She has finishes on her record, but they are mostly from attrition, not one strike.

So when the Polish striker was willing to engage in a dogfight with Weili, she was playing against her strengths.

Her competitive spirit got the better of her as she allowed Weili to pull her into a bout that didn’t give her the best chance to win. If she is to see a different outcome this time around, she will have to focus on a more stick-and-move approach.

It’s tough to fight against a great opponent and instincts, though.

Prediction: Weili via decision

---

Gambling Problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.