Will Procházka have a surprise challenger? Dana White said a week ago that the opponent will be determined at UFC 277

Big surprise? According to UFC President Dana White, Jiri Prochazka’s next challenger should not be Jan Blachowicz or Glover Teixeira, but someone completely different! Before Saturday’s bout he already announced that everything will be decided at the UFC 277 tournament in Dallas, which takes place on July 30.

Jiri Prochazka sensationally finished Glover Teixeira on a rear naked choke to become the new UFC welterweight champion. Immediately, speculation began about who the next challenger would be.

Teixeira wanted a rematch, but that almost certainly won’t happen, at least not yet. A fight with Poland’s Jan Blachowicz seems most likely, but we have to remember what UFC president Dana White said recently.

He said in an interview with Spinnin’ Backfist less than a week ago that the challenger would be determined by the UFC 277 tournament in Dallas at the end of July. Who will fight there?

Welterweight number four Magomed Ankalaev with number five Anthony Smith. The former has 17 fights and a single defeat, which he suffered in his UFC debut in 2018 against Paul Craig.

Since then, he has humbled eight of his UFC opponents and has certainly asked for a shot. Smith has a record of 36:16 and has won his last three fights, but before that he fell to Teixeira or Aleksandar Rakic.

So things will get interesting, but Prochazek’s fight with Blachowicz makes the most sense from a marketing perspective. Plus, it could be another opportunity for European fans to see the UFC for themselves.

Source: MMA Mania, Spinnin Backfist