It wasn’t exactly the fight most expected, but in the end, Jiri Prochazka had his hand raised and the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight belt strapped around his waist.
While the 29-year-old Czech entered the Octagon in Singapore Indoor Arena for the main event of UFC 275 as a two-to-one favorite over defending champ Glover Teixeira, the incumbent seemed to be a live underdog. The matchup seemed to lend itself to two main outcomes: Either Prochazka would overwhelm Teixeira early with his bewildering arsenal of flying and spinning strikes, or the grizzled champ would weather that storm, then rally in the later rounds with his underrated wrestling and crushing top game.