Jiri
Prochazka will enter the UFC 275 main event with a 12-fight
winning streak that includes 11 victories by knockout or technical
knockout.
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Since only two of those triumphs — Dominick
Reyes and Volkan
Oezdemir — have come within the Las Vegas-based promotion,
reigning light heayvweight champion Glover
Teixeira is not especially impressed with the achievement. When
Teixeira initially challenged for 205-pound gold, he took a 20-bout
professional winning streak into his matchup with Jon Jones at
UFC 172. He would go on to lose a clear-cut unanimous decision to
“Bones,” and it would be more than seven years before he reached
the top of the mountain in the division.
“It’s different … It’s very hard to do in the UFC. When I fought
Jon Jones I was coming off a [long winning streak] — something like
that too. With many knockouts,” Teixeira said at UFC 275 media day
(video via MMAjunkie.com). “It’s not in UFC. It’s hard to do in UFC. That doesn’t mean much. I
know he’s a great fighter, he’s a tough fighter, but it’d be hard
to do a [similar] winning streak in here.”
CATCH EVERY MOMENT OF UFC 275 ON ESPN+ Teixeira’s future in the sport has been a
popular topic heading into UFC 275, especially after the
42-year-old Brazilian
laid out a scenario in which 2022 would be his last year of
active competition.
The champion has since clarified his stance on the matter, stating
it’s not a guarantee that he walks away from the sport at the end
of the year.
“I said it was a possibility. I never really said I’m going to
retire,” Teixeira said. “It’s not regretting because I never said
for sure and it doesn’t matter. What you want now could change.
“Who knows? After this fight or after the next fight, who knows how
long I’m going to fight (or) if I’m going to be fighting until 45
years old like Randy
Couture? I’m feeling great. I’m feeling good. I don’t have any
major injury, because we all do a little bit, after 20 years in the
game, but I don’t know. I’m just living in the moment. Let tomorrow
take care of itself.”
Teixeira reiterated that his main priority is to make the right
decision. He doesn’t want to retire and then lobby for a comeback
only a few months later. Teixeira believes he’ll know when he
doesn’t want to compete anymore.
“I don’t want to be like [Henry] Cejudo, that he retired and then
wants to fight everybody else now,” Teixeira said. “I’m not talking
s—t about him. I can see he wanted to fight. He didn’t want to
retire, and me, I tell my wife I’m always going to make this
decision at home. No matter what happens in the fight, win or lose,
I’m probably never gonna make that decision in the Octagon.
“I’m gonna go home and the day that I don’t feel like I want to
train and I want to do this camp and I want to keep going or –
because you can feel it. In the training room, you can feel like,
‘Oh man, I’m not like I used to be anymore’ and that could be it,
but for now I’m feeling like a champ.”