Teixeira vs Prochazka, Shevchenko-Santos, Filipino fight make UFC 275 a must-watch

SINGAPORE — UFC 275 is just three days away and the excitement is building for the first numbered event of the world’s biggest and combat sports organization in Asia.

Light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira said that he was enjoying being the champion, one of two over 40-years old fighters to win a title belt in their career with the other being former heavyweight Randy Couture.

Teixeira (33-7-0) took the title belt from Polish fighter Jan Blachowicz right before his birthday in October of 2021 and will be fighting Polish challenger, Jiri Prochazka (28-3-1) in the main event of UFC 275.

"My motivation hasn’t changed," Teixeira told Philstar.com. "I am just as hungry to achieve more. And I will make good in my first title defense."

Media were informed that Blachowicz will be ringside to take in the proceedings.

The other key title match pits women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (22-3-0) versus Brazilian challenger Thalia Santos (19-1-0)

Said Santos, "In most of my fights in the UFC, I am the underdog. It’s nice motivation but I will fight the same way."

"We took time to study Val. She is as close to a perfect fighter but there is nobody perfect. I built a strategy around her flaws."

Shevchenko, who is tied for the most title defenses in UFC flyweight history with eight and has a 56.6% accuracy rate in her striking, seemed to take umbrage about Santos’ "observations".

"Eight women have tried but they all failed" was all she had to say.

She will not have it easy against the Brazilian who is on a four-fight win streak of her own.

Another key match pits former strawweight champion Zhang Weili against champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a highly anticipated rematch of their first encounter in 2020 that was awarded Fight of the Year.

Zhang promised to defeat Jedrzejczyk once more.

"I will knock her out," she succinctly predicted the outcome.

Korea's Seung-Woo "Sting" Choi brings his powerful striking into the Octagon when he faces well-rounded Filipino-Australian Josh Culibao at featherweight.

Hong Kong's first female athlete in UFC, UFC Academy graduate and Filipino-Chinese fighter Ramona Pascual returns to the Octagon to meet Joselyn Edwards at bantamweight.

Pascual opens UFC 275 at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

UFC 275 will be shown live in the Philippines on the Premier Sports Channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as on TapGo.