UFC 275: Jiri Procházka stuns Glover Teixeira for title in instant classic

Jiri Procházka stopped Glover Teixeira by submission with 28 seconds left in the fifth round to claim the UFC light heavyweight title in a grueling bout at UFC 275 on Sunday.

Procházka survived nearly five rounds of consistent punishment from the 42-year-old Teixeira, who became a first-time UFC champion at 205lbs late last year. After a back-and-forth fight that left both men cut and bleeding, the Czech challenger got into position to execute a choke that ended one of the most compelling title bouts in recent UFC history.

Valentina Shevchenko kept her flyweight title with a narrow split-decision victory over Taila Santos at Singapore Indoor Stadium, but the Brazilian challenger likely tested the long-reigning champion more than any opponent during her run of seven consecutive defenses.

Earlier, former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk announced her retirement after losing her rematch with Zhang Weili, who knocked out the Polish veteran in the second round with a spinning back fist.

The UFC’s first pay-per-view card from Southeast Asia took place in the morning in Singapore to reach the lucrative US audience on Saturday night, but the fighters shook off the early start to produce a highly entertaining slate of fights.

The main event was a thriller that only got better while Procházka managed to overcome numerous strategic mistakes with toughness and talent. Procházka became the 15th undisputed UFC champion of what has long been mixed martial arts’ glamour division, with past champions including Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell and Jon Jones.

Teixeira (33-8) was up 39-37 on two scorecards heading into the fourth round, which means the Brazilian champion almost certainly would have won a decision if he had avoided a