Prochazka will have to face Pereira and his ancestors when the two battle in Las Vegas this weekend for the light heavyweight title.
Sorry, Jiri. When you face “Poatan” in the cage at UFC 303 on June 29th, he’ll be there with the full power of his ancestors in tow.
Alex Pereira has made it no secret that he channels the spirit of his indigenous Brazilian tribe when he fights. He shows up for the face offs in full war paint and he performs the battle march of the Pataxó for every walkout, which is where his infamous bow and arrow pantomime comes from.
Not cool according to Jiri Prochazka, who lost the last time he had to face the cumulative efforts of all this magick.
“Everybody knows that he’s doing these rituals before the fight,” Prochazka said during UFC 303 media day. “Everybody can feel that, what’s around him and what’s going on. And I think Alex can’t fight without that. So that’s something he’s using normally in fighting.”
“This is my challenge to to him: if we can fight in a clear way, in this case, yeah? To be without some another things. Let the higher power be there in the cage to see who’s the best in the world, in the performance, in the pure performance. That’s all.”
Pereira shot down the idea that he’d leave such a powerful tool unused.
“Everybody has their own spirits, we’re not just made of flesh and bone,” Pereira said during his turn on the dais. “If he did not find his or he doesn’t believe, that’s not my fault.”
It seems rather unfair of Jiri to be asking this of Alex. Prochazka is well known for following the samurai code and channeling his energy through bushido. You don’t hear “Poatan” telling him to cut that out for a fight, do we?
Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka are set to fight in the main event of UFC 303 on June 29th. We’ll keep you updated on whose ancestral powers end up being stronger on fight night.