Prochazka is committed to starting over from scratch and building himself up to a new championship level.
Alex Pereira isn’t the only one who rushed back to training after UFC 303 this past weekend (Sat., June 29, 2024) in Las Vegas, Nevada. His opponent, Jiri Prochazka, also decided to get a little bit of striking practice in as well following his second round knockout loss to “Poatan.”
Prochazka’s second performance against Pereira left a lot to be desired. Indeed, “The Czech Samurai” looked tentative in their short-notice rematch, allowing the Brazilian kickboxer to pick him apart and nearly knock him out at the end of round one. In fact, Prochazka couldn’t recover in time for the second stanza … Pereira sauntered out to answer the bell and immediately kicked the challenger in the head, ending the fight just 13 seconds in (watch highlights here).
Prochazka’s takeaway from that humbling defeat: “I need to evolve to the next level … or don’t fight again.”
Since quitting clearly isn’t an option for the former 205-pound champion, he got right back to working on his skills the moment he returned home.
“No sleeping because of jet lag,” he said in a new Instagram video where he punched a padded board. “So, the best time … to elevate. Let’s go!”
“I will take rest, but now it’s time to elevate,” he wrote in the caption. “Start again. Smarter, Faster, more precisely. With a SPIRIT of Void.”
Hopefully, once he’s back with his team they can help him with his biggest flaw, which is defense. Prochazka simply doesn’t have any after years of running through opponents like a bull in a china shop.
Even in this video you can see his hands dropping low on certain punches, which is what Pereira’s team noticed and took advantage of in the locker room just before showtime.
2024 IS POATAN’S YEAR #UFC303 | @AlexPereiraUFC pic.twitter.com/vTirPPquGY
— UFC (@ufc) June 30, 2024
We get the feeling Prochazka may attempt to change from a wild and dangerous brawler to a more measured and cautious fighter. Not that he cares, but we would advise against this.
Prochazka definitely needs to tighten up some of the holes in his game. But, what got him to the dance is his willingness to go out there and take the fight to opponents, not the crispness of his combinations.
Reversing course now could prove disastrous.
He didn’t take the initiative against Pereira in their rematch, and that allowed “Poatan” to pick him apart. Hopefully, the Czech fighter takes a decent break, allows his head to recover from the trauma it’s taken over the past few months, and returns with confidence and aggression.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 303: “Pereira vs. Prochazka 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.