New UFC light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka says he does not care whom he defends his belt against for the first time, only that he vows to be better than in Sunday’s thrilling win against Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 in Singapore.
The Czech, who is three bouts into his UFC career, came through a Fight of the Year contender in the main event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, submitting then-champion Teixeira with 28 seconds remaining of the contest.
Glover, 42, had won the belt in Abu Dhabi last October, becoming the second-oldest first-time champion in the promotion’s history.
Prochazka, 29, is tipped to next face former title-holder Jan Blachowicz, although Teixiera was one of a number of contenders to throw his hat into the ring immediately afterwards in asking for a rematch.
Speaking to reporters following the greatest win of his career to date, Prochazka said: “It doesn't matter if it will be Glover or Jan. For the next fight, I swear, I will be another fighter. That was not a good performance from me.
“I'm satisfied, but some moments that you saw, Glover had an advantage, and his pressure was amazing, especially for his age. He's a very tough fighter.”
The match-up was a back-and-forth affair, with both men landing huge blows and enjoying punishing success on the ground. At one point, Prochazka suffered a nasty cut just above his left eye following a barrage of elbows on the canvas from his opponent, with Teixeira also bleeding badly from midway through the clash.
However, Prochazka latched onto a rear-naked choke late into the fifth round that caused Teixeira to tap out – the Brazilian’s first career submission loss from 41 professional fights.
Having earlier described the bout as a “true war”, Prochazka told the gathered media later: “From my side, it was a horrible fight and a horrible performance. You saw the fight, I just survived some moments. My life stance is to be dominant, to be the hunter, not a survivor - and that will be shown in my next fight.
“Before the fifth round, I thought about how I had to get a finish, because it was a tough fight and sometimes you have to do whatever it takes.
“I was a little bit lazy in setting up some situations and to prepare him for the knockout and to find the moments in his striking for openings. That was my laziness in the fight.
“He didn't surprise me with anything. We knew all of the things that he had to do and he was successful in that. So I need to work on that, not just in training, but myself to stop doing things that aren't good in the fight... just what is effective against the opponent.”
As he departed the octagon, Prochazka shared a brief exchange with Blachowicz, who was watching the event from the front row. Prochazka, who made his UFC debut during Fight Island in Abu Dhabi in July 2020, said post-fight that he blew the Pole a kiss and told him him loved him, as his potential next opponent "became aggressive".
“Jan was so brave and he told me something about our fight, so I shared the energy with him,” Prochazka said, seemingly tongue in cheek. “I will be ready. Just give me time to heal my face and realise the mistakes from this fight.
As for Teixeira, he said inside the octagon that he had no plans to retire as of yet.
“I give my all,” he said. “I say all the time: live by the sword, die by the sword. I’m going to keep going.”
In the night’s other championship bout, Valentina Shevchenko retained her flyweight title with a split-decision victory against Taila Santos. The champion, who moves to a nine-fight win streak - seven of which are successful defences - prevailed 48-47, 47-48, 49-46.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Skoda Superb Specs
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
WORLD CUP SQUAD
Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Angelo Mathews, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
