Jiri Prochazka needs to develop into UFC gentle heavyweight champion for a second time, and whereas simply carrying out that aim can be significant, having the ability to defeat the person who stopped him twice can be every little thing.
Prochazka is booked to face fellow-former champ Jamahal Hill in a highly-anticipated conflict at UFC 311 on Jan 18 in Los Angeles. Each fighters just lately have been stopped by present champ Alex Pereira earlier within the 12 months, with Prochazka struggling the destiny for the second time in lower than a 12 months at UFC 303 in June. “BJP” needs to place that night time behind him, however he was in a position to remove lots of useful classes from that loss.
“I took the very best from that,” Prochazka informed MMA Preventing. “It was not an excessive amount of about like that efficiency within the night time, however in regards to the preparation for that combat and I needed to change many, many issues. So the previous few months, I actually labored on that, what to, what to do, what to not do, what to not repeat. So right here I’m and prepared for the following combat.
“Each loss, each win is the principle level of the profession. So each battle, doesn’t matter if it’s a win. Win or lose, there’s at all times the possibility to take the very best from that have from each combat.”
Prochazka captured the title in one of many biggest UFC title fights in historical past, submitting Glover Teixeira within the fifth spherical at UFC 275 in June 2022. The previous RIZIN star didn’t get the possibility to defend it as an harm forward of his scheduled rematch with Teixeira at UFC 282 six months later led to Prochazka — because the UFC put it — vacating the title, which coincidentally, was received by Hill at UFC 283 a month later.
As a result of Hill ended up vacating the belt resulting from his personal harm, Prochazka stepped in to face Pereira for the vacant title at UFC 295 in November 2023, and was stopped within the second spherical.
As historical past has proven, the probabilities Prochazka can earn a 3rd combat with Pereira whereas “Poatan” remains to be champion appears near-impossible. Nonetheless, Prochazka believes a win over Hill might get him that likelihood, and that it simply may be his future.
“You understand, perhaps I’ll sound loopy or no matter, however imagine me, I’m engaged on [once again becoming] the champion,” Prochazka defined. “[The] champion proper now could be Alex. However proper now, I’m focusing [on] what’s earlier than me. What’s the following step? Proper now, it’s Jamahal Hill. Subsequent, we’ll see who would be the champion.
“If that will probably be Alex, for me proper now — if there will probably be a questions in regards to the combat with Alex — that will probably be for me, actually, the combat for my life.”
For Prochazka, a second title reign can be the primary time to do it the correct approach. After the all-time battle with Teixeira, Prochazka simply believed that being UFC champion was a part of the plan, however he didn’t get to benefit from the second like he ought to have.
If he will get to have Dana White wrap that championship belt round his waist as a two-time titleholder, Prochazka guarantees he’ll keep it up that custom as champion the way in which he was speculated to.
“Possibly first time, after I received, I didn’t actually understand that it was an enormous, an enormous factor in my life, and I used to be not so — like I say — grateful for that,” Prochazka stated. “I took that like, routinely, I would be the champion. OK, I’m the champion, and that’s all, yeah. I [didn’t have] these emotions to be humble, grateful in that.
“So I stated to myself, ‘I need to go this fashion yet one more time,’ not only one extra time, however I need to go there, take this belt, take that place of the very best man within the gentle heavyweight [division], and yet one more time, however grateful. Be humble. And actually respect that second. Actually respect the life that gave you this opportunity to combat for that once more. And proper now, I’m on this course of. That is what I really feel proper now.”
