Prochazka Favourite to Beat Teixeira Again in Rematch

Jiri Prochazka became a UFC champion for the first time in his career earlier this year when he beat Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. The Czech fighter stopped the light heavyweight champion in the fifth round in a rear-neck choke hold.

The victory brought up Prochazka’s professional record to 29-3-1. He is now 10^th on the pound-for-pound list in the UFC after just three fights with the brand. If he can beat Teixeira again in the light heavyweight rematch in December, he could climb higher on that list.

//\\ 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/Y2OJrzZMHT

— Jiri BJP Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) June 22, 2022

Prochazka, who has also had wins over Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes in UFC, is the -225 favorite in the online betting on the rematch. Teixeira is +164 to reverse the result and reclaim his championship belt.

The man from Znojmo, Czech Republic, was very critical of his performance in his victory for the UFC title. It was a fight where the momentum changed on several occasions throughout the five rounds.

Prochazka is proving to be one of the most popular fighters in the UFC due to his unconventional style. He has now won his last 13 fights in all brands he has fought on, so he is in the best form of his career.

Blachowicz Will Get Chance to Prove He Remains a Big Force at Light Heavyweight

Former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is also set to appear on the UFC 282 card. The Polish fighter lost his belt to Teixeira in October 2021 at UFC 267. He has fought once since then, defeating Aleksandar Rakic in a third-round TKO.

205.5 ✅#JB13 #LegendaryPolishPower #UFCVegas54 pic.twitter.com/j31jxWJFUA

— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) May 13, 2022

The 39-year-old is number two in the light heavyweight rankings so he could face the winner of the Prochazka-Teixeira fight should he get past Magomed Ankalaev. The latter is 9-1 in the UFC, so he represents a dangerous opponent.

Ankalaev has had wins over Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith in 2022. The latter was an impressive second-round stoppage at UFC 277 in Dallas Texas. Victory over Blachowicz would be the biggest success of his career so far by some distance.

Lawler Looking to Bounce Back from Barberena Defeat

The other co-main event at UFC event sees former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in action against Santiago Ponzinibbio. The two-time Fighter of the Year has lost four of his last five fights in the Octagon, including on his most recent appearance against Bryan Barberena.

Lawler has a lot to prove in this upcoming fight as defeat could signal the end of his career. He is taking on a fighter who has won eight of his last 11 contests in the UFC. Ponzinibbio lost to Michel Pereira back in May, so he too is looking to bounce back from defeat.

The Argentine Dagger has yet to challenge for a title, but this is the chance to record a victory over a big name in the division.

UFC 282 is set to take place on Saturday, December 10 at the T-Mobile Arena, in Paradise, Nevada. It will be one of the final UFC events of 2022.