UFC 295: Jiri Prochazka says he’s the true light heavyweight champion ahead of showdown with Alex Pereira
The Czech Republic’s first UFC champion is fighting to regain the title he never lost at this weekend’s UFC 295 blockbuster at Madison Square Garden.
Jiri Prochazka is on a mission to take back what’s rightfully his, and restore order to the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
If that sounds like the tagline for a movie, it’s just the latest instalment in Prochazka’s fairytale career so far.
His light heavyweight title fight win over Glover Teixeira in Singapore last year was like something straight out of a Hollywood script.
After 24 and a half minutes of intense back and forth action, with the blood of both men spilt all over the canvas, Prochazka – who was behind on two of three scorecards – locked in a desperate rear-naked choke on Teixeira.
The Brazilian champion had no choice but to tap out with just 28 seconds remaining in the fight.
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Hollywood’s best script writers couldn’t have written a better ending as Prochazka became the Czech Republic’s first ever UFC champion.
Days later, thousands packed into the town square in Brno to welcome their conquering hero back home.
The next phase of Prochazka’s career turned from triumph to pure tragicomedy, and left the light heavyweight division in absolute disarray.
Just weeks before his rematch with Teixeira last November, Prochazka was forced out with a shoulder injury.
He relinquished the belt and wasn’t able to train at all for four months. In the meantime, Magomed Ankalaev and former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz fought to a five-round draw for the vacant title, leaving the division without a champion.
Two months later, Jamahal Hill annihilated Teixeira in Rio de Janeiro to take the 205 pound crown.
Prochazka was then pencilled in to make his comeback against Hill, before Hill ruptured his Achilles playing basketball and vacated the title this July.
For the second time in mere months, there was no champion in the light heavyweight division.
Meanwhile, in his own movie-like career, Brazil’s Alex Pereira won and lost the middleweight title in a pair of fights with Israel Adesanya, then moved up a division and beat Blachowicz to put himself into number one contender spot for the light heavyweight title.
This weekend at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden, Prochazka and Pereira will engage in a final battle of sorts to anoint a true light heavyweight champion once and for all.
“I’m happy to be back to give our division some stability,” Prochazka tells this masthead from New York. “Last year was tough – it was not easy to watch all these things happening in my division.
“But I’m back to show I’m the true champion. I feel I never lost the belt. I’m going to (reclaim it) and I’m going to prove that I am the true champion this Saturday.”
Fully healed from his shoulder injury, Prochazka wasn’t impressed by Pereira’s split decision win over Blachowicz in July.
“That was not so big a win,” Prochazka says. “He didn’t show a great performance that night with Jan.
“But I know what his best version is and that’s what I’m preparing for.”
Pereira’s best undoubtedly came in the fifth round of his stunning knockout win over Adesanya last November.
Pereira had lost three of four rounds on every scorecard, but in a fairytale finish to match Prochazka’s win over Teixeira, he managed to land a desperation left hand to Adesanya’s chin which signalled the end of the Kiwi’s first title reign.
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“I watched both of those fights against Israel and I took a lot of things from them,” Prochazka says. “I saw how he works.
“He’s a good stand up guy. He has nice timing and nice defence.
“But my style is a bit different. I know the keys to win this fight, and I will show that my style – my improved style – is enough to win this Brazilian challenge again.”
Originally published as UFC 295: Jiri Prochazka says he’s the true light heavyweight champion ahead of showdown with Alex Pereira
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