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This Saturday’s UFC 275 features two Brazilians at very different times in their careers, but with a common goal: to leave Singapore with the belt in their hands. In the main event, the light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira tries, at 42 years of age, to become the oldest Brazilian champion to defend his title, against a challenger that represents the new generation. In the co-main event, flyweight Taila Santos is in the opposite condition, the challenger against a dominant champion on the brink of yet another record.
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Glover Teixeira and Taila Santos star in the main fights of UFC 275 — Photo: Infoesporte
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O Combat transmits a UFC 275 live and exclusively this Saturday from 19:40 (Brasilia time). O Combate.com send a “Combat Warming” and the first two fights from the same time, as well as the SportTV 3 it’s the Combat YouTube. The website follows the event in real time.
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For Glover, “whatever comes is profit”
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This week, Glover completed 20 years of a brilliant trajectory in MMA. Last October, he got the icing on the cake: winning the UFC light heavyweight belt, by defeating Polish Jan Blachowicz. It was the fulfillment of a promise made to his grandfather Chico Sudário, his biggest supporter.
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Glover Teixeira got emotional when talking about his grandfather with Combate — Photo: Adriano Albuquerque
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– My grandfather always said that I am very strong, he always said “a hardworking guy like you, strong, you will (be champion).” He really moves me, because he was like, “I don’t think I’m going to see you be champion, because I’m not going to be here.” And I still said, “Gee, it’s taking too long!” But 20 years later and he’s there waiting, 96 years old. He saw that – Teixeira told Combat this week.
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– The moment I saw the face of those older people, my uncles, my mother, my grandfather not believing that all that happened, and my grandfather was like, “Of the world?” It really is, from the world – Glover says, moved.
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After that, Glover admits that “whatever comes, is profit”, although the champion wants to say goodbye on top, with two successful belt defenses, including one at the mythical Madison Square Garden in New York.
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Jiri Prochazka is Glover Teixeira’s challenger at UFC 275 — Photo: Getty Images
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Standing in the way of this fairy tale ending is a young man touted by many as the division’s next owner. Czech Jiri Prochazka, 29, stands out for his mysterious and eccentric manner, inspired by the samurai of yore, and for his devastating knockout power. Singapore would be the ideal place for his coronation. Teixeira, who has already lost a title shot to Jon Jones, another dominant champion, doesn’t want to be the “missing link” between two reigns.
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– The challenge is tough, because Jiri is tough. I’m here to prove that I’m the best in the world and I always wanted to fight the best in the world. I managed to win the belt and the first guy I saw was Jiri, and I said, “He’s the one who’s going to be next.” Jiri is a striking guy and he’s unpredictable. He has to keep a very smart eye, the reflex has to be up to date. He’s a tough guy, but I’ve been training with one of the best strikers in the boxing and kickboxing world and I’m feeling great.
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Taila Santos is not scared of Valentina Shevchenko’s favoritism — Photo: Adriano Albuquerque
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At the age of 28, Taila Santos from Santa Catarina was in contention for the belt after just five fights in the UFC, pushed by a sequence of four consecutive victories. Even the fighter herself was amazed at how little time she needed to receive her opportunity.
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– It’s very gratifying to see, in such a short time – not a short time, because I come from many years of work, but now the opportunity I’ve been waiting for arrive, so fast. Even when I got the news, I thought, “Wow, now?” I was happy, but I was scared. “Is all this happening already?” And I was very happy, but I hadn’t had any submissions in the UFC before, I got it, I had some really cool fights, which drew attention, so I was waiting for this news – Taila told Combat.
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On the other side, however, will be a queen who dominates the flyweight division with an iron fist. The Kyrgyzstan Valentina Shevchenko, 34, has not lost since joining the division four years ago. In this time, after winning the belt, there were six successful defenses. A seventh win as champion would break the record for a woman in the UFC, held by Ronda Rousey since 2015.
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Valentina Shevchenko poses in Singapore ahead of UFC 275 this Saturday – Photo: Adriano Albuquerque
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None of this, however, intimidates Taila Santos. The Brazilian even believes that her opponent is under more pressure than she is, due to the magnitude of the mark she can reach and the expectations surrounding her.
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– There’s pressure, for sure. But I don’t see it as something from another planet. It’s just another fight, despite being tough, for the belt, but I’ll have to do what I’ve always done. There’s no secret. The pressure is on her to have the belt, so the pressure is on her to keep it. I’m going there to do my job. In most of the fights I entered as an underdog, so it doesn’t even affect me – guarantees the challenger.
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The event still had a third Brazilian in the lineup, but the fight was canceled the day before. Rogério Bontorin felt pain in his kidneys during the weight cut and was hospitalized. With that, his confrontation with Manel Kape left the schedule, which will continue with 11 fights.
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UFC 275
June 11, 2022 in Singapore
MAIN CARD (23:00 GMT):
Light Heavyweight: Glover Teixeira x Jiri Prochazka
Flyweight: Valentina Shevchenko x Taila Santos
Peso-palha: Weili Zhang x Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Welterweight: André Fialho vs Jake Matthews
Welterweight: Jack della Maddalena vs Ramazan Emeev
PRELIMINARY CARD (8 pm, Brasília time):
Featherweight: Seung Woo Choi vs Joshua Culibao
Peso-leve: Hayisaer Maheshate x Steve Garcia
Middleweight: Brendan Allen vs Jacob Malkoun
Peso-galo: Kyung Ho Kang x Danaa Batgerel
Strawweight: Na Liang vs Silvana Juarez
Weight-gall: Ramona Easter x Joselyne Edwards
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