UFC 300: Jiri Prochazka Eyes Alex Pereira Rematch, Reveals 3 Favorite Fighters to Watch
The former champ also tackles his first encounter with Pereira, his first defeat in 8 years.
It’s comeback season for Jiri Prochazka.
For the first time since 2015, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion can say he’s coming from the jaws of defeat. We last saw Prochazka at UFC 295, where he was TKO’ed by current champ Alex Pereira in a title fight some say was stopped prematurely.
RELATED: Jiri Prochazka Reveals Serious Illness He Suffered Before UFC 295 Title Fight
Early stoppage or not, Czech Republic’s Prochazka is taking his first Octagon loss in stride ahead of his return at UFC 300 next weekend.
“That last loss against Pereira was, for me, a big [lesson],” Prochazka told ‘The Schmo’. “Like every time, all my mistakes is for me, just the learning. Because that's the way you can be, only positive.
“You can take it only positively because [for a] long time I didn't [feel] that feeling [of losing] and it [made] me [remember] why I want to win and how much I want to win and why I want to win. So, right now is time to prove that.”
On the same night Pereira makes his first title defense, Prochazka will meet fellow European contender Aleksandar Rakić on the undercard of UFC 300. ‘Denisa’ says another shot at Pereira isn’t out of the realm of possibility, should he overcome the #5-ranked Rakic.
“I believe after that last fight, after that early end of the fight… So, if I win next week and I hope and believe I'm able to win, to handle that fight, I deserve the title shot,” Prochazka said. “So, let's go for that.”
There’s no guarantee that Pereira will go out with a win in Sin City as he faces the dangerous Jamahal Hill, but regardless of who holds the title after Apr. 13, Prochazka wants to show out against Pereira unlike he did at UFC 295.
“From one angle of me, I see that I like to fight him. I like to fight Pereira next. But it depends, it depends if he win. Doesn't matter. Like last time, for me it's not too important to get the title back, but I want to show, I wanna prove that the next step of the mastery on my way. That's all. That's all about the performance, about to show the best performance every time and about the joy from fighting.”
Speaking of the joy of fighting, the highly unorthodox yet effective striker names his favorite fighters to watch in the UFC Octagon– from the past and present.
“I like to see the true guy who's the master in his field,” Prochazka explained. “So one of them, the former champion, Lyoto Machida, was the karate champion. There is many guys, Jon Jones. And he did that very well with the passion, [Conor] McGregor, yeah? Everybody who's fully [interested] in MMA, in the fighting, who's there with the full– who do that with the full heart.”
Fortunately for Jiri Prochazka, he could be seeing one of his favorite fighters back in action sooner rather than later. And no, we’re not talking about the sidelined heavyweight champ Jon Jones.
UFC CEO Dana White teased the return of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor on his Instagram story on Friday.
“Coming soon,” White captioned a past video of McGregor.
🚨JUST IN 🚨
— Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) April 5, 2024
UFC president and CEO Dana White posted this video of Conor McGregor to his IG story today with the accompanying caption: “Coming soon.”
Make of it what you will, folks
An announcement, perhaps? 🤷🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/IvOBYqT4dA
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