Glover Teixeira and No. 1 contender Jiri Prochazka will have to wait a little longer to face off.
MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin confirmed with sources with knowledge of the change that Teixeira’s light heavyweight title defense against Jiri Prochazka, which was originally set to take place at UFC 274 on May 7, will now instead take place at UFC 275 in June. A date and location has yet to be announced for UFC 275. The reason for the rescheduling is not yet known.
The news was first reported by Combate during a live interview with Teixeira.
“It will be moved to June, they just said,” Teixeira said in Portuguese according to a translation by MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz. “We don’t have the date yet. It won’t be in Brazil (so I don’t care). I’d be pissed if it was May 7 in Brazil and it got moved (laughs).”
Teixeira is currently No. 1 at 205 pounds in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings, with Prochazka one spot behind at No. 2.
A previously announced lightweight title co-main event bout between champion Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje is expected to be moved up to the main event slot.
This was to be Teixeira’s first defense of the UFC light heavyweight belt after he defeated Jan Blachowicz via submission to capture the title at UFC 267 in October. The 42-year-old Brazilian has won his past six fights, with only one of those victories coming by way of decision.
Prochazka has won his first two UFC bouts by knockout to extend his current win streak to 12. He defeated Dominick Reyes by second-round KO in his most recent outing in May.