Matches to Make After UFC 275

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. Instead, they authored an instant classic that ran exactly counter to that dynamic. While both men had their moments, Teixeira mauled Prochazka for long stretches of the fight and was up three rounds to one on two judges’ scorecards when Prochazka seized victory with a no-hooks rear-naked choke with just 28 seconds left in the final round.

The Czech Republic has its first UFC champ, though how long Prochazka can hold the belt with such a kamikaze style is a fair question. One thing is certain, though; whether it is long or short, the title reign of the self-described “spiritual samurai” will not be boring. In the wake of UFC 275, here are matchups that ought to be made for Prochazka and the other main card winners.

Jiri Prochazka vs. Magomed Ankalaev-Anthony Smith winner

It seems likely the UFC will try to book Prochazka against the man Teixeira dethroned to win the title last year, Jan Blachowicz. The former champ was cageside in Singapore on Saturday and had a brief exchange with Prochazka after his title win. Former champs usually have an inside track on future title shots in the UFC, and the Poland vs. Czech Republic angle would make a fantastic headliner for a card in Europe. (Perhaps the UFC could take it to Poland, planting a flag in KSW territory like they did to One Championship this weekend.) However, the winner of Ankalaev-Smith, which takes place at UFC 277 next month, would be a better choice. Where Blachowicz is just one fight removed from his one-sided title loss to Teixeira, a win on July 30 would be Smith’s fourth straight, and that’s frankly the outside chance. Ankalaev, who will be a heavy favorite, likely would have fought for a title already if not for a buzzer-beating submission loss to Paul Craig in his UFC debut. He has redeemed that momentary lapse with a divisional best eight straight victories. A win over Smith would make it nine, and would make Ankalaev truly overdue for a shot at the belt.

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos 2

If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that I am usually opposed on principle to immediate title fight rematches, with two exceptions: fights whose outcomes were affected by injuries or inadvertent fouls; and fights whose outcomes were controversial due to judging or officiating. Shevchenko’s title defense against Santos in the UFC 275 co-main event was both. The most dominant fighter in the sport looked shockingly human, and the early rounds in particular were close enough to split the opinions of the official judges as well as professional media observers. Worse yet, a hard accidental head butt in the third round swelled up the challenger’s face to the point of obstructing her vision. Whether that was a factor in Rounds 4 and 5 being the most decisive of the fight for the champ is a matter of opinion, but it certainly didn’t do Santos any favors. There is one more reason an immediate rematch is convenient in this case. Women’s flyweight has a number of very intriguing prospects coming up through the ranks, but most of them are under 25 and none of them appear to be finished products as fighters. One outlier is Manon Fiorot, who faces Katlyn Chookagian in September. She is over 30 but still quite green in terms of MMA experience, and could use another few fights at least as much as the Erin Blanchfields and Casey O'Neills of the world. Shevchenko herself may well want to prove that UFC 275 was a fluke. Let her and Santos settle things, while the division ages and mellows like fine whiskey for another six to 12 months.

Weili Zhang vs. Carla Esparza

Zhang entered the rematch with fellow former strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk knowing that she was in a probable title eliminator, and did everything humanly possible to ensure it. Where their first fight had been a back-and-forth classic contested over five full rounds, the rematch was a shocking destruction that took less than two. Zhang’s advantages in strength and speed were evident immediately, as she slammed “Joanna Champion” all over the Octagon and battered her with strikes on the feet as well as on the ground before putting her out cold with a spinning back elbow. The dominant performance, combined with the fact that Zhang vs. Esparza is one of the few fresh matchups left to make with the five women who have held the 115-pound title, mean that Marina Rodriguez, the most deserving contender outside of those five, is probably frozen out for just a little longer. Zhang has earned her moment.

Jake Matthews vs. Court McGee-Jeremiah Wells winner

“The Celtic Kid” looked sensational on Saturday, stopping Andre Fialho by second-round TKO in their main card welterweight feature. Fialho, who looked to set a promotional record with three wins in 56 days, had more momentum than anyone else in the UFC and was poised to be 2022’s answer to Kevin Holland, but Matthews put an end to that with the best performance of his career to date. Matthews’ tools have never been in question — a big, athletic welterweight with well-rounded skills — but he showed a level of intelligent aggression and opportunism that makes him a sudden person of interest in the division. That feels strange to say about someone who has been in the UFC for eight years, but it bears remembering that he debuted in 2014 as an ultra-raw 19-year-old, and may just be entering his physical prime. For his next test, Matthews needs either a solid veteran or a fellow prospect coming off a win, and it just so happens that next weekend’s UFC on ESPN 37 card in Austin, Texas, features the solid (and grizzled) McGee taking on the frighteningly talented Wells.

Jack Della Maddalena vs. Tim Means-Kevin Holland winner

Della Maddalena took what he termed his “Dagestani wrestler test” at UFC 275 and passed with flying colors, punching out Ramazan Emeev in the first round of the main card opener. In under three minutes, the 25-year-old Aussie showed what was expected — some of the sharpest and heaviest hands in the division — as well as what we only could have hoped for, as he calmly survived some bad positions on the ground, including a brabo choke attempt from the former sambo world champion. In contrast to his countryman Matthews, who has grown up as a fighter under the bright Octagon lights, Della Maddalena feels like a polished product already despite his youth and relatively brief UFC run. He both suffers and benefits from having begun his career with two now-meaningless losses as a teenager in Australia. If not for those, Della Maddalena’s current 12-fight win streak — all but one of them finishes — would have us mentioning him in the same breath as Khamzat Chimaev, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Sean Brady, the trio of young undefeated welterweights who appear to be the future of the division. Instead, Della Maddalena gets the opportunity to continue honing his game outside of the full spotlight, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t ready for a borderline contender in his next fight. Means and Holland, who meet in Austin next Saturday, will provide a perfect foil.