UFC 275: Teixeira vs Prochazka – 6.11.2021 – Fight Predictions and Analysis
Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC 275: Teixeira vs Prochazka. Tonight we have a very exciting pay-per-view card live from Singapore! Titles are up for grabs in the women’s flyweight and men’s light heavyweight division. Our analysis includes a pick for every bout from Dynes Sports contributors Anthony Marro and Nicholas Marro.
As coverage continues, we will keep our records up to date below. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick though as records will not reflect confidence. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few.
Current Record
- Anthony: 141-79-0 (Last Year 299-200-5)
- Nick: 144-76-0 (Last Year 305-194-5)
*Fight odds were last updated from Bet99 on 6-10-2022 at 11pm EST
Early Prelims- Start 7:00pm EST
Joselyne Edwards -175 vs Ramona Pascual +140
- Anthony: The card begins with a women’s featherweight bout between Joselyne Edwards and Ramona Pascual. While Pascual is accustomed to this higher weight division, Edwards has not competed heavier than bantamweight since debuting as a professional. I think this gives Pascual a significant advantage that bettors may be neglecting. Edwards is a quick and mobile striker with a clear path to victory keeping this fight on the feet. However, if Pascual is capable of securing takedowns it will be very difficult for Edwards to fight her way back upright. She has been controlled for more than ten minutes in each of her previous two fights. Not to mention Edward’s takedown defense is just 47 percent since joining the UFC. Pascual will also be content to accrue control time in the upright clinch if needed and I see clear value in her as the underdog here. Ramona Pascual by Decision
- Nick: Joselyne Edwards is a Muay Thai style striker who finds most of her success striking both at range and in the clinch. She is coming off back-to-back hard fought decision losses in which she was out grappled by two tough outs in Karol Rosa and Jessica-Rose Clark. Pascual undoubtedly represents a step down in competition for her here, but with another loss it wouldn’t be surprising to see her cut from the UFC roster. Ramona Pascual is coming off a loss in her UFC debut, a hard-fought decision which was dropped to Josiane Nunes. Nunes was simply more active in that fight, but Pascual looked decent on short notice and she’s coming into this matchup on a full camp. Pascual should have a grappling advantage here, but she really hasn’t been tested against high-level competition. I expect she’ll be able to score a takedown or two on Edwards here, but I’m not confident in her ability to keep her grounded. Given the low-level nature of this matchup I don’t recommend betting heavily on either fighter. However, I’ll side with the experience of the favorite here. She’s going to be much better on her feet. It’s also a plus that Edwards has spent the majority of this fight camp training with Valentina Shevchenko. Joselyne Edwards by Round Two Submission
Silvana Gomez Juarez -125 vs Liang Na +100
- Anthony: Next we have a women’s strawweight bout between Liang Na and Silvana Gomez Juarez. This has to be the weakest matchup on the card with neither fighter having a UFC win to their name. Juarez is the superior striker in this matchup based on what she has shown in the past. Thus, Liang Na will be looking for takedowns and control time in order to avoid any heavy exchanges on the feet. She has very solid wrestling and I think the takedowns come easily against Juarez. I just worry about Liang Na pacing herself for a full fifteen minutes. Her cardio is suspect and unless she can find an early finish this could devolve into a very ugly fight. I advise against betting any money on these ladies but Liang Na would be my pick at plus money. With this card being in Singapore, it makes sense the Chinese fighter is drawing a 37-year-old opponent. Liang Na by Round Two Submission
- Nick: This is an extremely low-level matchup at strawweight. Gomez Juarez doesn’t have any quality wins to her name. She’s an effective striker and surprisingly technical, but she also seems a bit small for this division. She was completely dominated in her UFC debut, a loss to Lupita Godinez and she’s coming off an ugly loss to Vanessa Demopoulos in which she was quickly submitted after knocking Demopoulos down with a straight punch. Liang Na is a highly regarded prospect who has been training at the UFC’s Performance Institute in China. She is primarily a grappler. She aggressively pursues takedowns in most of her fights as her gameplan is almost always to work her opponent to the mat for a submission. Na will have a height and reach advantage here, but she’ll need to be careful in managing her gas tank. In her debut loss to Ariane Carnelossi, she was exhausted by the start of the second round. This should be a close fight and I expect Juarez to have her moments, but this feels like a favorable stylistic matchup for Liang Na. Gomez Juarez will have the advantage when this fight is standing, but I’m not confident this fight stays on the feet for long. Liang Na by Round One Submission
Preliminary Card- Starts 8:00pm EST
Danaa Batgerel -115 vs Kyung Ho Kang -105
- Anthony: This should be a great fight at bantamweight between Kyung Ho Kang and Danaa Batgerel. Batgerel has shown a good chin and excellent finishing ability. He has a chance to win this fight with a technically sound decision but given his aggressive nature that is not likely what we will see. Nine of his last ten fights have been finished inside of the distance. In this fight I expect Batgerel to hold the advantage striking. Kyung Ho Kang will need to make this fight ugly if hoping to come out victorious. We have seen him wrestle a bit and mixing in takedowns would be smart against a fighter that just seems to hit harder than he can. I do have some concerns backing Batgerel after seeing him KOd in March, but this feels like a good name for him to draw in a bounce back appearance. Kang has been less consistent and carries quite a few more losses on his record than Batgerel. I think the bet I am most comfortable making in this fight is the under, but Batgerel is my choice to win. Danaa Batgerel by Round Three KO
- Nick: We have a fun matchup here between two aggressive bantamweights. Danaa Batgerel is an extremely powerful and technical striker. We haven’t really seen him tested against a high level of competition, but he has trust flash KO power which is rare for this division. Kang works behind a powerful jab. He’s a highly technical striker with excellent footwork and head movement, but he’s been inconsistent at the UFC level in spite of his physical gifts. Kang fights long, he does a good job using his offense to keep his opponents at range. That will be important for him here against a powerful striker like Batgerel. Additionally, I expect he’ll have a wrestling advantage and certainly the more advanced jiu jitsu if this fight hits the mat. Batgerel is going to be live for the KO here. However, I expect Kang to execute a more well-rounded game plan on his way to victory. It also benefits him that Batgerel is taking this fight on short notice. Kyung Ho Kang by Round Three Submission
Brendan Allen -300 vs Jacob Malkoun +225
- Anthony: Next we have a fight at middleweight with Brendan Allen taking on Jacob Malkoun. The last time we saw Allen fight was a bout in February at light heavyweight. He won that short notice appearance by choking out Sam Alvey after battling through some early adversity. Allen is always tough to trust as a large favorite given his volatility, but he is extremely skilled fighter nonetheless. Malkoun has really only displayed proficiency in the grappling department which is no surprise given his extensive jiu jitsu background. Malkoun had masterful control of his past two opponents on the mat, but Allen shouldn’t be in as much trouble. The best aspect of Allen’s game is his grappling and I think he beats Malkoun to most positions today. Allen has the clear advantage on the feet and just far more cage time in mixed martial arts. The improvements he has made striking should be very evident today as he takes control of this fight putting his hands together late. It is hard to imagine Malkoun pulling off an upset like this given his lack of knockout power. Brendan Allen by Decision
- Nick: Allen is a former LFA Middleweight Champion and an experienced and highly regarded prospect at 185. Nine of Allen’s sixteen Professional wins have come via submission. He has an extensive arsenal of options at his disposal when the fight hits the mat, and he also does an excellent job getting back to his feet if he is the one grounded by an opponent. His striking seems to improve every time he’s in the cage and his chin has been a strength for him in many of his victories. On the feet he continues to show improvements, which isn’t surprising as he recently shifted to an excellent camp in Sanford MMA. Malkoun is one of the smaller middleweights on the UFC roster. Given Malkoun was the 2019 ADCC Asia trials winner and a 2019 Pan Pacific gold medalist in Jiu-Jitsu, his grappling success at this level shouldn’t be surprising. He’s coming off back-to-back wins over AJ Dobson and Abdul Razak Alhassan. In both of those victories he leaned heavily on his grappling to control position and keep his opponents on the defensive. Malkoun’s one path to victory here is likely to lean on his grappling to control Allen and keep the fight on the mat. Allen is the much better striker in this matchup, so his clearest path to victory is going to be keeping this fight on the feet. While the line certainly feels too wide here and I consider Malkoun a live underdog, Allen should be able to get the win. He’s a much better grappler than any of Malkoun’s UFC opponents so far. Additionally, Allen should have a considerable size advantage come fight time. Brendan Allen by Decision
Steve Garcia -185 vs Maheshate +150
- Anthony: This is an interesting lightweight matchup between Steve Garcia and Maheshate. Maheshate earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series after getting the win as a massive underdog. The 22-year-old still has quite a few holes in his game, but I do think the future is bright entering the UFC at such a young age. Maheshate’s thin record is fair cause for concern, but his offensive striking is very high level for somebody of his limited experience. He draws an opponent in Garcia who could outwork him or land a big shot, but probably will be a step behind in most striking exchanges. Maheshate has the edge in terms of speed in this matchup. I do not think Garcia brings much value to the promotion and matching him with Maheshate in Singapore seems like a smart business move. He has quite a few losses on his record and not many notable wins at all. I think he poses challenges for Maheshate but do not believe Garcia warrants a price tag like this. Put me down for another underdog here. Maheshate by Round One KO
- Nick: Garcia is a decent striker with surprising power for his frame. He is far from technical on the feet, but he can eat a punch and keep pushing forward and he does a good job keeping volume on his opponents. He has shown solid durability on the regional scene as well as in his last fight, an impressive win over Charlie Ontiveros. Maheshate will be making his UFC debut here, coming off an impressive Contender Series win over Achilles Estremadura as a +475 underdog. He is only 22-years old, but he already seems to be further along in his development than most of the prospects we see coming out of China. He throws powerful strikes and seems to be a competent grappler, but he really hasn’t been tested against a high level of competition. There are plenty of holes in Garcia’s game, but I’m going to back him as the favorite here. In spite of his mixed results, we’ve seen him tested against much better competition. Steve Garcia by Round Two KO
Seung Woo Choi -240 vs Joshua Culibao +190
- Anthony: The preliminary card ends with a fun matchup at featherweight between Joshua Culibao and Seung Woo Choi. The odds are hard to argue here as Choi is the further developed and more technical fighter. I am just not interested in backing Choi after seeing him lose as an even bigger favorite last fall. He generally struggles most facing grapplers, but Culibao is likely going to oblige him on the feet this evening. I think that Culibao has the bigger moments in this fight, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough for him to win. He hits harder than Choi and appears to be the more durable of the two. I liked what I saw in his draw versus Charles Jourdain. And I really liked what I saw in his win against Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. This is not a confident pick but my money is on Culibao. I think he does just enough to sway the judges with the damage he puts on Choi. It sounds like his fight camp was excellent and at +200 I am willing to roll the dice backing him. Joshua Culibao by Decision
- Nick: Choi is a highly regarded prospect coming out of South Korea. He’s proven to be well-rounded, but he’s coming off an ugly loss via Submission to Alex Caceres. He has surprising power for his frame on the feet, excellent footwork and head movement. He can be tentative at times, but his athleticism and overall explosiveness is what stands out when you watch him on film. Culibao is coming off a solid win over Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, his first under the UFC banner. Culibao is fairly well-rounded, but most content to stand and trade on the feet. Culibao is tough, but Choi is much more athletic and I see him as the more dangerous fighter everywhere. Seung Woo Choi by Decision
Main Card- Starts 10:00pm EST
Jack Della Maddalena -160 vs Ramazan Emeev +130
- Anthony: Opening the main card is a welterweight fight with Jack Della Maddalena taking on Ramazan Emeev. If you haven’t watched an Emeev fight before, he is a very high-pressure fighter. He averages two takedowns per bout and usually does well controlling his opponents for at least a few minutes every fifteen. Grappling will once again be key for him here facing a high-level boxer like Della Maddalena. The Australian has incredible boxing, elite footwork and excellent timing. I expect the reach advantage to be a huge obstacle for Emeev to overcome in any striking exchanges. Emeev may secure a few takedowns early but Della Maddalena has done very well scrambling in the past. Eventually I see Emeev’s fading while Della Maddalena stays active and completely outboxes him. Della Maddalena can throw great in combination and really utilize output as a weapon once he finds his rhythm. This is a great piece of matchmaking to test the young bloke’s grappling, but I expect him to get the job done. Jack Della Maddalena by Decision
- Nick: Della Maddalena has shown highly technical striking ability in his short UFC tenure. He has excellent head movement and footwork, surprising power, and while he hasn’t been tested extensively at this level it seems he’s competent on the mat as well. Emeev is a pressure grappler, he does a good job maintaining dominant position over a wide range of opponents. He has excellent takedown ability via both sweeps and more traditional single-leg entries. He’s not the most exciting fighter to watch, but he has a very high Fight IQ and leans on his strengths to consistently add wins to his resume. This is a very close matchup and a tough one to call. Emeev has a very clear path if he can use his grappling to control position. That being said, he seems to be on the decline athletically. He’s having much more trouble keeping opponents down than he had earlier in his career. This is a tough one to call, but I see Della Maddalena keeping this fight standing long enough to score a decision victory. Jack Della Maddalena by Decision
Andre Fialho -140 vs Jake Matthews +115
- Anthony: Next we have a bout at welterweight with Jake Matthews fighting the red-hot Andre Fialho. Matthews last fought more than a year ago, losing to a top contender in Sean Brady. He has been a staple of the roster for a while now but has not really performed well against elevated competition in the past. Matthews will need to rely on a grappling heavy approach to win this fight against a talented boxer like Fialho. I do not think he finds success getting this fight to the ground and while standing the discrepancy in power will be significant. Fialho has very heavy hands and refined technical skills. He also has six quality wins by knockout since the start of 2021. While the Australian is younger than Fialho, he does have more cage time with already eight years logged under the UFC banner. I see him putting up a quality fight but eventually succumbing to the strikes of Fialho. It is hard to fade someone as active as he has been, now fighting for the third time in three months. Andre Fialho by Round Two KO
- Nick: Fialho is likely to be the aggressor early here, but he’ll need to be careful in managing his gas tank. We’ve seen Fialho fade late in fights on more than one occasion. Fialho is coming off back-to-back KO wins over Cameron VanCamp and Miguel Baeza. He’s a powerful striker who is very compact when throwing combinations. He has a solid grasp of defensive footwork, but he can be so aggressive in exchanges that he sometimes leaves himself open to counter shots. Matthews has more experience at this level than almost any other 27-year-old in the world. He’s a well-rounded fighter, but in this particular matchup he’d be wise to lean on his grappling. Matthews throws powerful strikes, but he overextends on many of his punches which could prove troublesome for him in a matchup like this one. Fialho’s left hook is certainly a concern for me here, but I’ll back Matthews under the assumption that he’ll execute a grappling heavy gameplan. This is a low confidence play, but I like the value of Matthews in this spot, as it seems Fialho is a bit overhyped due to his recent success. Jake Matthews by Decision
Zhang Weili -160 vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk +130
- Anthony: This is going to be an awesome fight. The featured bout is a rematch of the 2020 Fight of the Year with Zhang Weili taking on Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Both of these women have held the division’s belt, and Dana White has indicated this fight will be a title eliminator with the winner getting another shot. Weili looked solid in the first matchup getting the split decision victory. I thought it was a fight that she certainly won, displaying extremely high volume striking and unflappable pressure. It will likely be a similar game plan today as they run it back. Although Jedrzejczyk has proven she can strike with Weili it is not going to be easy to take control of this fight in just fifteen minutes. With Jedrzejczyk being away from action for two years, it is hard to imagine her taking the first round from Weili who has remained very active. The time Weili has spent improving her wrestling at Fight Ready could also pay massive dividends here if she elects to take Joanna down. It is going to be an awesome scrap but I ultimately have to put my money on Weili. After winning 21 consecutive bouts I do not see her rattling off three losses in a row. Her timing and ability to cause damage to Jedrzejczyk should result in Weili getting her hand raised yet again. Zhang Weili by Decision
- Nick: Both of these girls are built for five Rounds, meaning conditioning shouldn’t really be a factor here. This should be a really fun matchup and one of the more competitive fights on the card. This fight is a rematch of one of the greatest fights in women’s MMA history. Back in March of 2020, these two women went to war. Zhang landed 165 significant strikes in that matchup and Jedrzejczyk landed 186. While Zhang was out landed, she landed the more powerful strikes and put extensive damage on her opponent. Joanna Jedrzejczyk had a massive hematoma on her head and was visibly battered. This time around the fight is only three rounds, which should benefit Zhang. Jedrzejczyk hasn’t fought since the first time these two fighters met, and Zhang has been much more active. Given how technically advanced Jedrzejczyk is, she could fall victim to ring rust as she tries to get her timing down. Additionally, Zhang Weili recently changed camps to Fight Ready. She’s likely to show considerable improvements in her grappling, her Fight IQ, and it’s certainly encouraging to know she’s been training with a higher level of athlete than she was in China. Weili is going to have a power advantage here, and I expect she can grapple more this time around to win more convincingly. It wouldn’t shock me if Jedrzejczyk pulled off the upset, but I see Zhang as the rightful favorite. Simply, she has more paths to victory. Zhang Weili by Decision
Valentina Shevchenko -570 vs Taila Santos +400
- Anthony: The co-main event will see Valentina Shevchenko look to make her seventh defense of the flyweight title against challenger Taila Santos. The champion has looked untouchable, with her only losses coming to Liz Carmouche in 2010 and in two tight decisions versus Amanda Nunes. Her striking is amazing, with insane speed and accuracy. She really is a sniper and I see her picking apart Santos on the feet. In the larger cage, she will have plenty of room to work at kickboxing range. Santos won four in a row to earn this title shot. She is solid all around and has found a lot of success taking fights to the mat as of late. However, I really do not see her doing enough to slow down Shevchenko and limit her offensive output. The women Santos has beaten are not in the upper rankings of this division. Shevchenko has beaten tougher fighters before and I do not think Santos will be able to expose any new holes in her game. I seriously doubt we will see the belt change hands tonight. Shevchenko will be a key parlay piece for me as the betting line has not inflated as high as usual. And still. Valentina Shevchenko by Round Four KO
- Nick: Shevchenko is one of the best female strikers to ever step in a cage. She’s a highly technical kickboxer with extremely powerful kicks and enough speed to land a variety of combinations against anyone in this division. Santos is coming off four impressive wins over Joanne Wood, Roxanne Modafferi, Molly McCann and Gillian Robertson. She is a crisp and powerful striker, but her grappling is likely going to present her clearest path to victory in this matchup. Shevchenko is a far more technical and polished striker in comparison to Santos. She’s been leaning on her grappling a bit more lately, but in this particular matchup I expect her to mostly stand and trade. Santos is one of the tougher tests Shevchenko has seen over the past couple of years. However, it’s a test I expect her to pass. Santos is most successful when she’s able to overwhelm smaller opponents, but Shevchenko doesn’t fit that mold. Shevchenko should be able to lean on her striking at range here, stay on the feet and use her grappling to keep things where she wants them. Valentina is an outstanding counterpuncher and most of her opponents are hesitant to engage with her. Santos’ aggressive style is likely to result in her downfall here. I expect Shevchenko to be better everywhere. It’s also notable that Santos has never been in a five-round fight. This could be competitive early, but I expect Shevchenko to pull away in the later rounds. And Still. Valentina Shevchenko by Round Four KO
Jiri Prochazka -210 vs Glover Teixeira +165
- Anthony: This card concludes with the light heavyweight title fight between Jiri Prochazka and champion Glover Teixeira. It was awesome seeing Teixeira win the title last year after dominating Jan Blachowicz. He has looked amazing in this late career resurgence, winning six fights in a row and making a lot of money at even odds or better each time. He has crisp boxing with a good defensive shell, but Prochazka is a high-level striker that will challenge Teixeira on the feet. His last ten wins have come by knockout. He hits like a truck and is often either pressuring opponents with volume strikes or standing and trading with potshots and good head movement. Prochazka does excellent creating angles on the feet and will hold a decisive speed advantage in this matchup. The only loss he has suffered since 2013 came in the RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix after beating Bellator Champion Vadim Nemkov earlier that same night. Teixeira’s best chance in this matchup will be taking Prochazka to the mat and I’m not expecting him to win without doing so. Prochazka will try to stay on his bike and out of the champion’s grasp, but I do not think he will be able to defend the early takedowns in this fight. Dominick Reyes is only successful on 28 percent of his takedown attempts but he was able to bring Prochazka to the mat in one try. I am riding with old man Glover to expose Jiri’s weakness on the mat and find a finish in under twenty minutes. I think this is a very even fight but one man will look dominant start to finish. The champion is getting disrespected as the betting underdog once again. And Still. Glover Teixeira by Round Two Submission
Nick: Jiri Prochazka is coming off ten consecutive Wins via KO. In all of his recent fights, Prochazka has come out aggressive and swinging wildly. He has shown stellar power and an ability to close the distance on his opponents both quickly and violently. He sometimes overexertes on punches in exchanges and leaves himself open to counter shots, but he’s as dangerous of a fighter as there is in the world at 205 pounds. The Champion, Glover Teixeira, is extremely effective on the ground. He does a good job mixing in level changes to work his opponents to the mat. Once he gets them there, his ground-and-pound ability is as good as anyone in the world. At 42 years old there’s always a chance Teixeira’s age catches up to him. However, he’s looked excellent of late, but there’s really no telling when his physical strengths start to flip into weaknesses. Teixeira is very good everywhere, but he mostly relies on a sound technical base as he waits to take advantage of his opponents’ mistakes. Prochazka will need to be more reserved than he usually is in this matchup. The line has gotten too wide here considering Teixeira has a very clear path to victory via takedowns and groundwork. However, I expect Prochazka can lean into the advantages he’ll have fighting in the big cage here. He should be able to strike at distance and use angles to avoid being taken down. He’s much faster than any of Teixeira’s recent opponents. Teixeira is certainly live for the upset here, but this feels like a changing of the guard. And New. Jiri Prochazka by Round One KO
-Nick Marro
Twitter: @NickMarroDFS
-Anthony Marro
Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_