Jiri Prochazka on pace to shatter a UFC light heavyweight striking record.
Jiri Prochazka’s UFC debut took place at the top of the UFC 251 prelim card. The former Rizin light heavyweight champ scored a knockout win over ex-UFC light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir 49 seconds into the second round of their matchup. Prochazka landed 33 significant strikes during the bout, giving him a significant strike landing rate of 5.67 strikes per minute.
Sean O’Connell holds the current UFC light heavyweight record for significant strikes landed per minute with a minimum of five UFC fights. O’Connell ended his UFC career with 5.46 significant strikes landed per minute.
Prochazka’s second trip to the octagon happened on Saturday in the main event of UFC Vegas 25. In that matchup Prochazka faced former two-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes. This fight lasted longer than Prochazka’s debut, and he landed at a higher significant striking rate than he did in his debut. By the end of the contest, which came at 4:29 of the second stanza, Prochazka landed 77 of 136 attempted significant strikes. Prochazka’s combined significant striking rate through two UFC fights is an eye-popping 7.19 significant strikes landed per minute.
While Prochazka is only two fights into his UFC career, the 28-year-old potential title challenger is on pace to crush the current significant strikes landed per minute record in the 205-pound division. However, if Prochazka wants to top the overall record in significant strikes landed per minute, he has his work cut out for him. Daniel Rodriguez is the current record holder with 8.05 significant strikes landed per minute.
Below, look at the final fight stats from the UFC Vegas 25 bout between Prochazka and Reyes.
UFC Vegas 25 took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. ESPN2 broadcast the event, and the card streamed on ESPN+.