UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka says he spent three days in the dark with no food as part of his meditation.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka isn’t cut from the same cloth as many of his peers. The Czech standout employs out-of-the-box training methods, which include punching a tree 500 times a day.
The 30-year-old fighter recently appeared on The MMA Hour where he talked about another unusual practice. This time, it involves being in the dark for three straight days with no food.
“That’s all in darkness for three days, and there you can work with your demons and train what you want. I don’t want to talk about a lot, because that’s like my personal things,” he told Ariel Helwani.
“That’s the biggest fun, because you have to go to the point where time is ending, and I can’t speak about that, because it’s so, not intense, for me, these things are so personal … and holy.”
For Prochazka, it is a form of meditation to get him battle-tested and ready for every situation, at least mentally.
“It’s very helpful. There is just you and you. No other people. That was my first time when I did that without food, so just with water. It’s much more strong when you’re without food. All the processes in your body is much stronger. Your mind’s working a lot, and you have to die here first.
“And three days, four days, that’s not so much. But I’m using that just to recognize who I am really, and then I can start training and pushing to the next level with truly me, more honestly.”
Prochazka won the 205-pound title from Glover Teixeira via last-minute submission at UFC 275 in March. The two are slated for a rematch at UFC 282 in December.