"Thrilla in Singapore" - Teddy Atlas compares Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira to 'Thrilla in Manila', Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
Teddy Atlas has seen a lot of amazing fights in his years as a boxing coach and commentator. As far as he's concerned, Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 stands as one of the greatest fights he's ever seen.
In a new episode of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, he said:
"You remember the Thrilla in Manilla, right? Well, this was the Thrilla in Singapore. I mean, this was deserving of having its own title like they gave titles to these fights, the Rumble in the Jungle, the Fight of the Century, first Frazier-Ali fight. But this deserves a title, that's how good it was. That's how special it was. That's how magnificent it was."
AAAAAAAAAAAAND, NEWWWWW!
Jiri Prochazka submits Glover Teixeira in the final 30 seconds of Round 5 to become the new UFC Light Heavyweight champion. #UFC275 https://t.co/MWktknhMXD
"One of the greatest fights I ever saw. My son Teddy called me up after the fight, he hadn't seen it and wanted to know if it was worth seeing. I said 'Bud, it's one of the greatest fights I ever saw.' He's like 'Wow, that's enough. I'm in.' Because that's a big enough statement. It was Mickey Ward and Gatti 1, it was every bit of that. Castillo-Corrales 1. It was all of that. It was like reading a book and each round was a chapter. A chapter of life."
Atlas also had to underscore Glover Teixeira's age. He said:
"The guy doing this was 42 years old. You have to equate that into it. You have to put that in. You have to. It would be extraordinary if he was 22. But to be 42. Forty two years old!"
Watch Teddy Atlas praise Prochazka vs. Teixeira below:
Teddy Atlas doesn't want to see Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2
Teddy Atlas was extremely complimentary towards Glover Teixeira and dubbed him the George Foreman of MMA. That doesn't mean he supports Teixeira's call for a rematch with Prochazka. Atlas said:
"It'll be the same thing as before. This great man, Teixeira, did everything he could and he still lost. He did make a mistake, though. But he still lost, and he's 42 years old. It'd be like Jersey Joe Walcott the second time against [Rocky] Marciano, Alexis Arguello the second time with Aaron Pryor. It'd be the same as it was with Donaire the second time with Inoue. The great former champion did everything he could the first time with this younger champion. And he won't be able to bring it back. It'll be gone, it's left in the ring mentally and physically. It'd be a one round fight and people would be shocked."
While there are reports that the UFC is considering an immediate rematch, champion Jiri Prochazka is hoping to fight Jan Blachowicz in a bout the two are calling 'The Battle of Europe.'
Jiri, let's do this! The Battle for Europe. The biggest fight in the Continent's history. @jiri_bjp @ufc @UFCEurope #UFC275