Tag: Jiri Prochazka

Jamahal Hill: Raki? Should Be Fighting For The Title Before Procházka

UFC light heavyweight contender Jamahal Hill believes Aleksandar Raki? should be challenging champion Glover Teixeira next instead of Ji?í Procházka.

While Raki? has been in the UFC since 2017, Procházka only arrived on MMA’s biggest stage last yea…

Jamahal Hill, Aleksandar Raki?, Ji?í Procházka

UFC light heavyweight contender Jamahal Hill believes Aleksandar Raki? should be challenging champion Glover Teixeira next instead of Ji?í Procházka.

While Raki? has been in the UFC since 2017, Procházka only arrived on MMA’s biggest stage last year. But in the short period of time he’s been a part of the promotion’s light heavyweight roster, “Denisa” has made a monumental impact, one that’s seen him surpass Raki? in the rankings.

In his debut, Procházka brutally knocked out former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir on Fight Island. Having broken onto the scene in impactful fashion, the Czech star went one step further in his second appearance, breaking into title contention with an even more vicious KO, this time against Dominick Reyes.

Not many people have secured a main event slot in just their sophomore outing, and even fewer have cemented their status as number one contender without even making three walks to the Octagon. But despite his impressive start in the UFC, not everyone believes he’s done enough to earn a spot at the front of the queue.

According to Hill, who is tipped as a future star at 205 pounds and currently sits at #12 in the rankings, Raki? deserves to be fighting for gold next over his European peer.

“I mean, both have a case, I guess. Me, personally, I think it should be Raki?, just because Raki? has been here longer,” Hill told The Hannibal TV. “Who’s had the most success at his weight? Who’s done the more things to put themselves into championship position? I think that’s Raki?. Ji?í came in and beat two guys that were on losing streaks.”

Raki? Will Have To Go Through A Former Champion To Reach Gold

Since joining the UFC, Raki? has gone 6-1. However, most believe the Austrian should boast a perfect record in the promotion. His sole loss, a split decision defeat to Oezdemir in 2019, was highly controversial, and most believe he was the rightful winner.

Since that setback, “Rocket” has got back on track with consecutive successes against former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. In the eyes of many, those victories, coupled with his triumphs over the likes of Jimi Manuwa and Devin Clark, should have been enough to book him a date with the champion. That’s without even mentioning the suggestion that Procházka turned down offers to face the 29-year-old.

Instead, Raki? will have to go through former champion Jan Blachowicz if he is to earn a title shot in 2022. The Polish powerhouse was dethroned by Teixeira at UFC 267 and will be looking to secure a chance at redemption by stalling the charge of his fellow European.

The pair are set to headline the March 26 UFC Fight Night. The winner is expected to challenge the victor of the likely championship clash between Teixeira and Procházka.

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Do you agree with Jamahal Hill? Should Aleksandar Raki? be fighting for the title next instead of Ji?í Procházka?

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Glover Teixeira Lays Out Detailed Plans For His First LHW Title Defense

Glover Teixeira is already planning his first light heavyweight title defense.

Glover Teixeira is coming off his extraordinary win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. The 42-year-old shocked the world and became one of the oldest fighters to ever win …

Glover Teixeira

Glover Teixeira is already planning his first light heavyweight title defense.

Glover Teixeira is coming off his extraordinary win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. The 42-year-old shocked the world and became one of the oldest fighters to ever win their first UFC title. Now that he is the champion at 205 pounds, Teixiera isn’t ready to slow it down. In fact, he is already planning his first title defense and even has a name in mind.

“For sure in Brazil,” Teixeira told Sherdog. “It’s meant to be. I (said) right after my fight with Blachowicz…in a perfect scenario would be May for myself because I want to relax, enjoy this moment, and that was a hard year for me—hardcore, focused 100% for the fight. I want a few months off, a couple months off, and I want to get back (training) beginning of January….I told everybody May would be perfect time. And May is the card in Brazil. Who knows? Maybe it’s a possibility, and it’d be fun.”

Teixeira’s win over Blachowicz was the 33rd win of his career. Many thought Teixeira might be heading towards retirement back in 2018 when he suffered his third loss in five fights, but the longtime veteran of the sport battled back to win his next five and secure his title shot. Now, with the belt wrapped around his waist, Teixiera would like to bring it back home to Brazil.

He has previously mentioned Ji?í Procházka as a possible opponent. Procházka is the #2-ranked light heavyweight, right behind Blachowicz, so he is the most logical option. He has been waiting out for his title shot, even though he has been called out by other fighters in the division, namely Aleksandar Raki?.

Although Teixeira wants to wait until spring, that does not mean he will be relaxing the whole time. He is very involved with his gym and training other fighters as well. He was in the corner of his teammate Alex Pereira for his UFC debut. And even after he hangs up his gloves for good, he’ll most likely still be seen around the Octagon as well.

What do you think of Glover Teixeria’s plan for his first title defense?

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2022 Could Be Ji?í Procházka’s Year—Or Not

We could see Ji?í Procházka get crowned a new champion over the next year, although some questions give us hesitancy in that stance.

It didn’t take long for Ji?í Procházka to fly up the UFC light heavyweight division and become a title contender. A…

Ji?í Procházka

We could see Ji?í Procházka get crowned a new champion over the next year, although some questions give us hesitancy in that stance.

It didn’t take long for Ji?í Procházka to fly up the UFC light heavyweight division and become a title contender. And while we don’t know if he is next for a title shot at the moment, all signs indicate that he is on a fast track to getting a championship fight if he keeps producing the results he has made thus far.

Procházka is still somewhat of a new name for UFC viewers. He has only fought twice since joining the promotion in 2020, including one main event bout. That’s certainly not to say he doesn’t have experience.

Viewers of the RIZIN product from Japan have a better understanding of him. Before his UFC run, many witnessed him score wins over notable names Karl Albrektsson and Vadim Nemkov. Only 29 years old, the Czech Republic fighter has competed as a pro for nearly a decade and has over 25 wins.

Procházka’s career started incredibly busy, fighting more than three times a year from 2012 to 2015. He continued to stay active in the following years, fighting two to three times a year in RIZIN from 2016 to 2019.

However, his activity as a pro has slowed down since joining the UFC roster, only fighting once a year since 2020. So when looking at the contender, it might be best to judge him off his two most recent fights instead of observing older tape. When looking at his two fights in the UFC, there is a lot to address. Here’s what we know about Procházka, what we’re concerned about, and what we have yet to learn.

Looking At Procházka’s Two UFC Fights

Jiri Prochazka
Jiri Prochazka (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)

Procházka’s first two fights in the UFC showed his undeniable punching power. He displayed his ability to put away opponents with a wild striking style. However, he wasn’t a flawless fighter. In his UFC debut in 2020, Procházka scored a second-round stoppage win against a big name in Volkan Oezdemir. However, he got hit quite a bit along the way. He was visibly stunned by shots at times by Oezdemir but was able to work past those issues for a finish win.

The issue of getting hit continued to show in his main event fight against Dominick Reyes in May. He was notably wobbled halfway through the second round by a left cross, forcing him to shoot for a takedown and fight a guillotine choke submission on the ground. Reyes was able to touch him, but to Procházka’s credit, he powered through and eventually overwhelmed the two-time title challenger.

That fight also showed a side to his game that hasn’t been tested extensively in the UFC cage yet: his ground game. Although the fight was mostly on the feet, Procházka was taken down by Reyes in the first round quite easily. As was mentioned before, he also found himself fighting a choke after taking a desperation shot in the second frame.

This could be a glaring issue if he were to face current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Glover Teixeira, who has a clear talent for getting fighters to the ground and submitting them with ease. With that being said, his ability to defend wrestling and grappling hasn’t been tested more thoroughly by someone yet.

What’s Next For Procházka?

Jiri Prochazka
(via Zuffa LLC)

There’s good reason to believe Procházka could claim the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. He’s explosive with his punches and hard to read as a fighter. But should you go all-in on the Procházka hype train? That’s a hard call to make.

Like anyone ranked second in their division should, Procházka certainly believes he has a good case for getting a title fight next. But as it stands currently, we cannot confirm if that is actually what’s next for him, although all signs are currently trending in that direction. Therefore, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s next in line. Neither would it be a shock if he’s next to have that belt around his waist.

Do you think Jiri Prochazka will become UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in 2022?

Continue Reading 2022 Could Be Ji?í Procházka’s Year—Or Not at MMA News.

Aleksandar Raki? Blasts Ji?í Procházka For Allegedly Dodging Him

UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? feels that a battle in the Octagon between him and Ji?í Procházka is inevitable.

Raki? and Procházka seemed as though they were on a collision course for months after the two of them have gone back-a…

Aleksandar Rakic

UFC light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Raki? feels that a battle in the Octagon between him and Ji?í Procházka is inevitable.

Raki? and Procházka seemed as though they were on a collision course for months after the two of them have gone back-and-forth in the media. Raki?, in particular, has made his critical opinions of Procházka perfectly clear.

Rakic has accused Procházka of ducking him in the past and is doubling down on those claims as he gets ready for his next appearance in the Octagon. During an interview with MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Raki? reiterated what’s next for him and is temporarily closing the door on a fight with Procházka.

“Jiri, I cannot take this clown seriously you know. I don’t care about him. My focus is on Jan Blachowicz and on March 26 and I don’t care about this guy,” Raki? said. “I don’t care about him and this fake samurai sh*t that he’s doing and just focusing on Jan Blachowicz. My goal is to stay active and this was not so possible this year, but finally, I got the opportunity to fight again and that’s for the No. 1 contender to fight next for the belt.”

As stated above, Raki? will be facing former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz on March 26. Meanwhile, Procházka is widely expected to fight the newly-crowned champion, Glover Teixeira at a later date. He most recently dispatched Dominick Reyes in a UFC main event earlier this year.

There’s clearly no love lost between Raki? and Procházka, and the two of them could meet sooner rather than later depending on how their next fights play out.

Who do you think would win in a bout between Aleksandar Raki? and Jiri Procházka?

Continue Reading Aleksandar Raki? Blasts Ji?í Procházka For Allegedly Dodging Him at MMA News.

Jiri Prochazka Prepares To Fight By Hitting A Tree 500 Times Per Day

Jiri ProchazkaJiri Prochazka has revealed the unusual way he gets ready for his fights. The 29-year-old is one of the most ruthless fighters in MMA and appears to be next in line for a shot at the new light-heavyweight champion, Glover Teixeira. Prochazka recently played the role of back-up for the UFC 267 title fight between […]

Jiri Prochazka

Jiri Prochazka has revealed the unusual way he gets ready for his fights.

The 29-year-old is one of the most ruthless fighters in MMA and appears to be next in line for a shot at the new light-heavyweight champion, Glover Teixeira.

Prochazka recently played the role of back-up for the UFC 267 title fight between Teixeira and Blachowicz. During his preparations for a potential championship bout that never came to fruition, Prochazka posted a video to social media that showed him repeatably hitting a tree.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Prochazka explained how practicing his shots in nature helps him in the gym and in his fights.

“It’s good for the body to be in the technique to be like a rock,” he explained. “Then I can go through the opponent’s body with my technique, and my technique can be more dangerous. It’s a good training for the body.”

“After some 500 punches, then I go to the bag, and the bag is very easy, believe me,” Prochazka added.

Jiri Prochazka’s Quick Rise Through The UFC’s Light-Heavyweight Division

The Czech fighter only joined the UFC in 2020 and just two fights later he is in line for a shot at the biggest prize in MMA.

Prochazka was widely regarded as one of the best 205lb fighters on the planet before he signed for the UFC. He secured big wins over the likes of Muhammad Lawal, CB Dolloway, Fabio Maldonado, and Vadim Nemkov before being signed to MMA’s premier promotion. Prochazka also won and defended the RIZIN light-heavyweight title.

In his UFC debut, Prochakza faced former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir who was riding a two-fight winning streak into the bout and appeared to be primed for another shot at UFC gold. Prochazka was able to withstand the dangerous power punches of Oezdemir and scored a huge highlight-reel KO of his own.

It was a similar story when Prochazka made his second Octagon appearance against Dominick Reyes earlier this year. For large parts of the two-round fight ‘Denis’ beat on the former title challenger but he did have to survive one sticky spot to secure another highlight-reel finish, one that will surely be in the running for Knockout of the Year.

Do you think Jiri Prochazka should get the next light-heavyweight title shot?

Procházka Reveals The Two UFC Fighters Who Inspire Him The Most

UFC light heavyweight contender Ji?í Procházka has revealed that two top flyweights inspire him the most on MMA’s biggest stage.

In just two fights in the UFC, Procházka has already jumped into 205-pound title contention and established himself as …

Ji?í Procházka

UFC light heavyweight contender Ji?í Procházka has revealed that two top flyweights inspire him the most on MMA’s biggest stage.

In just two fights in the UFC, Procházka has already jumped into 205-pound title contention and established himself as one of the most lethal strikers in the promotion. The Czech native was signed by the world’s largest MMA organization after building a 26-3-1 record, which included 23 knockouts, and achieving championship glory in Japan’s renowned Rizin promotion.

In his debut at UFC 251 last July, Procházka brutally knocked out former title challenger and perennial contender Volkan Oezdemir. After announcing his arrival in style on Fight Island, “Denisa” returned to action in May this year.

In the UFC Vegas 25 main event, he was matched up with Dominick Reyes, who’d previously competed for the light heavyweight gold on two occasions. Cementing his status as a threat to the champion, the 29-year-old brutally sent “The Devastator” to sleep with a spinning back elbow.

Procházka Draws Inspiration From The Lighter Divisions

With an immense combination of speed, power, and agility, Procházka certainly poses a unique and dangerous threat to every member of the light heavyweight roster. The #2-ranked contender discussed where he draws inspiration from for his style in an interview with SCMP MMA.

Despite competing in the second heaviest weight class in the promotion, Procházka revealed that he enjoys watching the lighter divisions. In particular, “Denisa” said the two fighters that inspire him the most are current UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno and the Mexican’s rival Deiveson Figueiredo.

“Man, there is a lot of fighters. A lot of fighters who I respect. These two guys who had two fights for the title; Moreno with Figueiredo. These two guys, I like the light guys. I like light guys because I like to inspire by (their) light moves. And I saw nice technique in their fight, so that was the great fight of these two guys.”

While Moreno and Figueiredo prepare for their trilogy fight, which is set to take place at UFC 270 in January, Procházka will be targeting a matchup with current light heavyweight king Glover Teixeira. While he’s seemingly the number one contender, the Czech star has admitted he’d be open to a title eliminator if the Brazilian isn’t ready to defend his belt early in 2022.

Would you like to see Ji?í Procházka fight for the light heavyweight title next?

Continue Reading Procházka Reveals The Two UFC Fighters Who Inspire Him The Most at MMA News.