"I'm not happy with the fight"- Jiri Prochazka on why he isn't pleased with his win over Dominick Reyes
Jiri Prochazka has claimed he wasn't happy with his recent performance against Dominick Reyes. The light heavyweight prospect believes he made a step up from his first UFC fight but claimed the first round was horrible for him.
During his interview with Ariel Helwani of ESPN MMA, Jiri Prochazka added that he had to make a few changes after his first UFC bout. The Czech fighter pointed out a few things that he had worked on, including keeping his hands up during the fight.
Jiri Prochazka also stated that he was more defensive but was caught by Reyes a few times. The #2 ranked UFC light heavyweight thinks that any of Reyes' punches could've finished the fight, which wasn't the right approach:
"I'm not happy with the fight. I'm happy that I made a step up from the first fight because the first round was horrible for me and I needed to change this style, to little upgrade that. And I made a step up in that, I did more defense, the hands up and these stuff but there was so many punches Dominick landed. Each one of these punches can be the finisher and that's not the right way," Prochazka said.
In the main event of UFC Vegas 25, Jiri Prochazka knocked out former UFC light heavyweight title contender Dominick Reyes. The win marked Prochazka's second victory in the organization in what was also his second fight under the UFC banner.
Prochazka's win caught the attention of several other top light heavyweight fighters, including reigning division champion Jan Blachowicz. The Polish champion expressed interest in facing Denisa, immediately after the latter's latest win.
Jiri Prochazka could be in line for a shot at the UFC light heavyweight title
Jiri Prochazka has certainly established himself as a top contender to watch out for in the UFC's light heavyweight division. However, the Czech fighter will have to wait for Jan Blachowicz to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Glover Teixeira at UFC 266 in September.
That being said, Prochazka could wait to fight the winner of Blachowicz vs. Teixeira or shift his focus on to #3 ranked Aleksandar Rakic. A fight against the Austrian could be another exciting test for Jiri Prochazka.