Glover Teixeira Reportedly Set to Fight Jiri Prochazka in Light Heavyweight Championship Rematch

Glover Teixeira is heading to the Octagon in December…

The UFC has added a light heavyweight championship rematch between the 42-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and Jiri Prochazka  to its December pay-per-view event in Las Vegas.

Glover TeixeiraContracts haven’t been signed, but multiple sources confirmed the bout is close to being finalized.

It will take place at UFC 282 on December 10 inside T-Mobile Arena. The UFC has not announced whether it will serve as the main event.

Prochazka (29-3-1) won the title by submitting Teixeira in the fifth round of a back-and-forth fight at UFC 275 in June. Fighting out of Czech Republic, Prochazka has been perfect since signing with the UFC in 2020. He has recorded three consecutive finishes against Teixeira, Dominick Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir.

Teixeira (33-8) has strung together some of the best performances of his career at age 42. He upset Jan Blachowicz for the UFC title in October 2021, before surrendering the belt in his first attempted defense. Before that loss, the Brazilian had not tasted defeat since 2018.

The first meeting between Prochazka and Teixeira is considered one of the most entertaining fights of the year. Ironically, it was Prochazka who was adamant about an immediate rematch, as he felt he did not give his best performance despite the late finish.

UFC 282 also features a high-profile light heavyweight bout between Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev.

The news of the bout being added to UFC 282 was first reported by The Underground.

Thiago Santos Signs with Professional Fighters League

Thiago Santos is headed to the PFL

The 38-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC title challenger has signed an exclusive deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), according to promotion president Ray Sefo.

Thiago Santos Santos will make his PFL debut in 2023 when he competes in the promotion’s season format with a tournament championship purse of $1 million. Santos will fight in the 205-pound division.

“We are very excited to bring in Thiago Santos to the PFL light heavyweight division,” Sefo told ESPN. “He is known throughout the MMA world as a guy who delivers exciting fights, and I’m looking forward to seeing his elite knockout power up close.”

Santos most recently appeared in a UFC Fight Night main event against Jamahal Hill in August, losing via fourth-round TKO. Six of his past seven appearances in UFC were in main events, including a failed title shot against then-champion Jon Jones at UFC 239 in July 2019. Santos lost that fight via split decision.

He was nearing the end of his UFC contract, and the two sides ultimately decided to part ways. Santos had fought exclusively in UFC since 2013.

“It was an amicable separation with the UFC,” Santos’ manager Alex Davis told ESPN. “Thiago is very grateful for everything the UFC did for him, and he’s very grateful toward the PFL for signing with him. He’s looking forward to winning a million dollars.”

Fighting out of Brazil, Santos came close to dethroning Jones in their five-round title fight despite suffering a serious knee injury during the bout. He has struggled to regain his old form since the injury, suffering losses to Glover TeixeiraAleksandar RakicMagomed Ankalaev and Hill. Nevertheless, he was still ranked No. 9 in UFC’s light heavyweight division.

The 2022 PFL finals are in November. The light heavyweight final will feature two former UFC veterans in Robert Wilkinson and Omari Akhmedov.

Thiago Santos In Final Talks to Face Magomed Ankalaev in UFC Fight Night Next March

Thiago Santos could be returning to The Octagon in March…

The UFC is finalizing a light heavyweight fight between the 37-year-old mixed martial artist and Magomed Ankalaev to headline an event in March, according to ESPN.

Thiago Santos

The 205-pound contest will serve as the main event of a UFC Fight Night on March 12. The UFC has not announced a location yet for the event.

A former title challenger, Santos (22-9) is coming off a decision win over Johnny Walker in October. The Brazilian fighter challenged former champion Jon Jones for the title in July 2019 and suffered a serious knee injury in a decision loss. He dropped his next two bouts coming off knee surgery before rebounding in October.

Ankalaev (16-1) is one of the fastest-rising contenders in the division. The 29-year-old Russian is on a seven-fight win streak, including a decision over former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 267 two weeks ago.