"The fight for my life" - Jiri Prochazka expresses feelings about potential Alex Pereira trilogy fight, explains mindset heading into next title run
Jiri Prochazka shared his thoughts on a potential trilogy fight against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. The Czech fighter has faced Pereira twice, suffering second-round knockout losses in both encounters. In their first fight at UFC 295, Prochazka was competitive until the finishing sequence, but Pereira successfully neutralized Prochazka's unorthodox offense and clearly dominated him in their UFC 303 rematch to defend the title.
Prochazka is set to fight fellow former champion Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 in January 2025, aiming for another shot at the title. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, he was asked if he believed a victory over Hill on Jan. 18 would lead to another title shot. Prochazka responded:
"Maybe, it will sound crazy or whatever, but believe me, I'm working on that to be champion. Champion, righ now, is Alex. I'm focusing what's [in front of] me, what's the next step... Right now, it is Jamahal Hill. Next, we will see who's the champion. If that's Alex... If there is a question about the fight with Alex, that will be, for me, the fight for my life, yeah!"
Check out Jiri Prochazka's comments below (11:47):
Jiri Prochazka explains why recapturing the UFC title is important for him
Jiri Prochazka became the light heavyweight champion with a fifth-round submission win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. Unfortunately, he had to vacate the title in November 2022 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. At the time of the injury, Prochazka was preparing for the UFC 282 rematch against Teixeira. He vacated the title to allow the division to move on.
Since returning to competition, Prochazka has faced setbacks in two title opportunities against Alex Pereira. In the aforementioned interview with MMA Fighting, Prochazka shared his motivation to reclaim the UFC title, sharing his thoughts on what drives him to become a two-time champion:
"Maybe the first time when I won, I didn't realize that it was a big thing in my life. I was not so grateful for that. I took that like, 'Automatically, I will be the champion' and that's all. I was not grateful for that moment, and I did not have this feeling to be humble and greatful there. So I said, 'I want to go there one more time and take this position as the best man in the light heavyweight division." [13:37]
Heading into UFC 311, Prochazka is a slight +107 underdog, while Hill is a -125 favorite.