UFC 267 Fight Card: PPV Schedule, Odds, Predictions for Blachowicz vs. Teixeira
The light heavyweight title is on the line and an interim bantamweight champion will be crowned at UFC 267 from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Jan Blachowicz will be looking to keep his 205-pound crown against Glover Teixeira. Through a five-fight win streak, Teixeira has earned the right to his second crack at the championship nearly eight years after his first one against Jon Jones.
Petr Yan believes he's the best bantamweight in the world after his controversial disqualification loss to now-champ Aljamain Sterling. He was originally scheduled to prove it in a rematch, but an injury has forced Sterling out of the bout. Instead, it will be Cory Sandhagen who will meet Yan in the cage with the interim belt on the line.
Islam Makhachev's ascent up the lightweight rankings could continue Saturday afternoon as well. He'll look to extend his winning streak to nine when he fights Dan Hooker.
Here's a look at the complete fight card and the biggest questions to be answered in each of the biggest fights.
UFC 267 Card, Schedule and Odds—October 30
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Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 2 p.m. ET)
- Jan Blachowicz (c) -280 (bet $280 to win $100) vs. Glover Teixeira +225 ($100 bet wins $225): light heavyweight championship
- Petr Yan -220 vs. Cory Sandhagen +180
- Islam Makhachev -550 vs. Dan Hooker +400
- Alexander Volkov -310 vs. Marcin Tybura +245
- Li Jingliang +435 vs. Khamzat Chimaev -600
- Magomed Ankalaev -320 vs. Volkan Oezdemir +250
Prelims (ESPN+ at 10:30 a.m. ET)
- Amanda Ribas -170 vs. Virna Jandiroba +150
- Ricardo Ramos +140 vs. Zubaira Tukhugov -160
- Albert Duraev -425 vs. Roman Kopylov +320
- Elizeu Dos Santos -250 vs. Benoit Saint-Denis +200
- Shamil Gamzatov -120 vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk +100
- Makwan Amirkhani +225 vs. Lerone Murphy -280
- Hu Yaozong +185 vs. Andre Petroski -225
- Tagir Ulanbekov -410 vs. Allan Nascimento +310
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Can Glover Teixeira Complete His Improbable Resurgence?
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In July 2018 Glover Teixeira was 38 years old, 2-3 in his last five fights and coming off a one-sided decision loss to Corey Anderson.
It wouldn't have been surprising if the Brazilian had hung it up at that point. After all, he had a solid UFC career. He challenged Jon Jones for the title in 2014 and lived in the top 10 of the heavyweight rankings for a long time.
Instead, Teixeira made changes in his camp and continued to find ways he could evolve and get better. The results have been shocking as he's put together a five-fight winning streak since that loss with four of those wins coming by either knockout or submission.
Now, he stands with one last shot at the title to boost his legacy. Jan Blachowicz stands on the other side as the defending champion and the favorite. That's in large part thanks to his performances of late, including a win over Israel Adesanya.
But Teixeira brings different challenges to the table. His ability to work in the clinch, slow things down and make it an ugly fight should be concerning as Blachowicz needs space to operate. Teixeira has the tools and drive to find a way and complete his ascent to champion.
Prediction: Teixeira via decision
Can Sandhagen Establish Himself in the Elite Tier?
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Sandhagen's rise as a prospect was filled with highlights and dominant performances. His unusual length for a bantamweight and creative striking with a propensity for scrambles on the ground was fun. But there have been many entertaining prospects who can never quite break through.
A win over Aljamain Sterling in June 2020 would have put him in a title fight. Instead, he lost in the first round by submission in under two minutes.
Wins over Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar renewed his title aspirations. Then a loss to T.J. Dillashaw by split decision leaves doubt once again.
Now Sandhagen has an opportunity to prove himself against a man who may have won the title if it weren't for a bad decision. The knee that disqualified Petr Yan against Sterling truly cost him the fight as it's likely he was winning on the cards.
Yan has all the tools you'd like to see in a champion. He's a dynamic and powerful striker with a strong wrestling game to lean on if it's an advantage.
Sandhagen will have to prove that he can use his length to diffuse a fighter of Yan's caliber. To this point, he hasn't been able to do that, and this does not look like a great matchup for him.
Prediction: Yan via decision
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Can Dan Hooker Stay on His Feet?
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The Dan Hooker vs. Islam Makhachev fight will be intriguing for the exact amount of time that Hooker can stay on his feet.
Hooker is a massive underdog in this spot. There's good reason for that. His opponent hasn't lost since 2015 and has been absolutely dominant in his most recent fights.
But it is also true that Hooker is the best striker that Makhachev has seen to this point in his career. He's also a step up in competition. Hooker hasn't been able to break into the elites of the division, but he does hold wins over Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta and Jim Miller.
Hooker is tough and a good kickboxer. It isn't a question of whether he can handle the punishment that Makhachev is known to hand out, it's whether he can keep the fight upright long enough to not get mauled.
So far, Makhachev has had few problems getting his opponent to the mat and imposing his will. Hooker doesn't have enough wins over dominant grapplers to prove that he can.
Prediction: Makhachev via second-round submission
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