‘Embedded’: Respect Your Elders!

The UFC 275: “Teixeira vs. Prochazka” pay-per-view (PPV) event takes place this Sat. night (June 11, 2022) inside Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore, and reigning Light Heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira will defend his 205-pound title against the top contender and former RIZIN champion, Jiri Prochazka.

Episode 2 of UFC’s most popular vlog series “Embedded” featured the arrival of former Strawweight champion Zhang Weili and some aerobics from the aforementioned title challenger, Prochazka. However, the installment majorly featured a joint workout between Teixeira and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

While taking a break to sit and chat with the camera crew, the champion reflected a bit on his introduction to the sport.

“My inspirations are Wanderlei [Silva], [Antonio Rodrigo] ‘Minotauro’ [Nogueira] first of all. Minotauro is first. Then comes [Jose] Aldo who’s still going on,” Teixeira said. “Dude, it’s incredible. I remember I used to work landscape and we got a terrible job. We had to clean a thicket at a property in New York. Back then I never thought, I dreamed of, a distant dream. An impossible dream. To become a UFC champion. I used to see Vitor [Belfort], Royce Gracie and think, ‘I’ll do jiu-jitsu and become a UFC champion.’ I started right then. I was very strong. I wanted to fight everyone.”

Teixeira’s professional debut came in June 2002 and he wouldn’t reach the heights of UFC until May 2012, scoring a dominant first-round arm-triangle choke submission against Kyle Kingsbury. After amassing a five-fight win streak in the promotion, Teixeira (22-2 at the time) earned his first crack at UFC gold, matched with Jon Jones.

Falling short via unanimous decision in that April 2014 tilt, Teixeira (33-7) returned to contention seven years later at age 42 and made his dreams a reality, defeating Jan Blachowicz via second-round rear-naked choke at UFC 267 in October 2021 (watch highlights).

For the rest of the UFC 275 fight card and PPV lineup click here.