About a year ago, Jiri Prochazka vacated his light heavyweight title, similar to Jamahal Hill’s recent decision. Now, Jiri is preparing to face Alex Pereira, the new rising star in the division.
Pereira, a former two-division kickboxing champion, rebounded from his loss to Israel Adesanya with an impressive victory against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291 held at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Jiri Prochazka sets sight on LHW title months after vacating it
Although not officially confirmed, there was significant anticipation for a title fight between Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka. However, ‘Sweet Dreams’ had to vacate his title due to an injury. As a result, the 205-pounders won’t be competing at the TD Garden in Boston for the UFC 292 headliner on August 19th.
Nonetheless, Jiri Prochazka remains determined to reclaim his 205-pound gold strap in the future. In a recent interview with the MMA Hour, Prochazka said he was anticipating an injury from Jamahal seeing his recent physical structure.
“My reaction was, ‘What are you doing, man. It doesn’t matter [what the reason was], but everyone I saw he had big weight, he [gained weight], and especially for the ankles and all of these areas like the knees, for the body, it’s a big weight. ” Jiri said.
Jiří Procházka wants his next fight to be against Alex Pereira for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title 🏆 #TheMMAHour
▶️ https://t.co/kRJv9QPzeB pic.twitter.com/CMcK4J2TF9
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 31, 2023
With Hill no longer in the championship picture, the Czech fighter is now focused on securing the title in his next fight. The 30-year-old fighter states that he doesn’t believe in trash talk and instead aims to demonstrate his abilities inside the octagon.
According to him, many people in the sport try to act like gangsters, but he’s determined to prove his worth through his performances rather than engaging in verbal confrontations.
Jiri Prochazka Wants Alex Pereira Next for the Belt 👀
🔗 https://t.co/LyaNwrH7eu pic.twitter.com/I6sXmEGFkg
— Combat Sports UK (@CombatSportsUK) August 1, 2023
Prochazka expects Alex Pereira showdown
The former champion emphasizes that in MMA, many individuals adopt a tough-guy persona, but he remains focused on showcasing his worth through actions rather than words. Currently, Jiri believes that Pereira stands as an obstacle on his path to the title.
Pereira’s victory against Jan has put him on a promising trajectory towards title contention in the light heavyweight division. Recognizing the tough competition from fighters like Jiri Prochazka, who currently holds the top spot, Pereira knows he will face significant challenges on his way up.
“I was prepared for the style like Jamahal, and I like that. I like his style; it was very simple, power for every punch, but [Pereira] has similar style, but more upgraded. There’s more logic in [Pereira’s] style.” Jiri adder.
Jiri Prochazka has stated that he wants to fight Alex Pereira for the vacant LHW title.
Imagine if Pereira fought all three of these UFC stars in the span of a year 😳 pic.twitter.com/5BZ6lP22lb
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 31, 2023
Given the strength of both Pereira and Hill as opponents, Prochazka views Pereira as the tougher challenge and is strategizing to face the Brazilian fighter in his next bout. Do you think Poatan will be able to become a two-division champion?
