Tag: UFC 295

Israel Adesanya picks Jiri Prochazka to beat Alex Pereira in UFC 295 title fight: ‘You can diffuse the bomb’

Israel Adesanya picks Jiri Prochazka to beat Alex Pereira at UFC 295 you can diffuse the bombFailing in his sole attempt land the light heavyweight championship, Israel Adesanya believes multiple-time opponent and long-time rival, Alex…

Israel Adesanya picks Jiri Prochazka to beat Alex Pereira at UFC 295 you can diffuse the bomb

Failing in his sole attempt land the light heavyweight championship, Israel Adesanya believes multiple-time opponent and long-time rival, Alex Pereira will also fail in his attempt – picking the returning former champion, Jiri Prochazka to “diffuse the bomb” and beat the Brazilian at UFC 295 this weekend.

Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middleweight champion, headlined UFC 293 back in September most recently, suffering a hugely one-sided unanimous decision loss to challenger, Sean Strickland in Sydney, Australia, dropping his title for the second time in the space of a year.

In November of last year in Madison Square Garden, City Kickboxing staple, Adesanya suffered his first middleweight loss in professional mixed martial arts, as Alex Pereira rallied in their rivalry-rekindling fight to snatch the title with a fifth round standing TKO success. 

Israel Adesanya picks Jiri Prochazka over Alex Pereira at UFC 295

And despite stopping the Brazilian back in April via a massive second round knockout in Miami, Florida, Adesanya claims that Pereira – who he donned as a “special human being”, will be bested by the returning Prochazka at UFC 295 in his efforts to land 205 pound spoils.

“I’ll say (Alex) Pereira is a special human being,” Israel Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Not just a fighter, a special human being and I’ll say that because I’ve been in there with him many times. A special human being and he’s got a special ability when it comes to putting people to sleep. He can do it to anyone. His story is very impressive. What he’s done in kickboxing, then coming to the UFC and hunting me down, getting hunter and then going up to 205 [pounds] now and looking to claim a second belt.”

“It’s a hard fight for both men, but it’s a hard fight for Jiri (Prochazka) because of that time bomb,” Adesanya explained. “You can diffuse the bomb, that’s the thing. You have to find out how to diffuse the bomb. It’s exciting, but regardless, I’m going with Jiri Prochazka.” 

Who wins this weekend at UFC 295: Jiri Prochazka or Alex Pereira?

Video – Jiri Prochazka shares intense face off with Alex Pereira ahead of UFC 295 title fight in New York City

Jiri Prochazka faces off with Alex Pereira in an intense staredown ahead of their UFC 295 title fightReturning to the Octagon for the first time in 18 months this weekend as he headlines UFC 295, former…

Jiri Prochazka faces off with Alex Pereira in an intense staredown ahead of their UFC 295 title fight

Returning to the Octagon for the first time in 18 months this weekend as he headlines UFC 295, former undisputed light heavyweight champion, Jiri Prochazka shared a usually intense staredown with former middleweight titleholder, Alex Pereira, as the two meet in ‘The Big Apple’ with vacant 205 pound gold on the line.

Prochazka, a former undisputed light heavyweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 275 back in June of last year against Pereira’s close friend and teammate, Glover Teixeira, landing the undisputed light heavyweight crown with a rallying fifth round win over the Brazilian, landing a stunning rear-naked choke – sans hooks to boot.

As for Pereira, the former undisputed middleweight kingpin made his light heavyweight divisional bow under the UFC banner back in July against former champion, Jan Blachowicz, earning his championship tilt in a title-eliminator win over the Pole in a close split decision win on the scorecards.

Himself landing gold a year ago at Madison Square Garden – the same venue as this weekend’s UFC 295 title fight with Czech Republic native, Prochazka, Alex Pereira stopped dominant gold holder and arch-rival, Israel Adesanya with his own rallying win, landing a fifth round standing TKO victory in New York.

Jiri Prochazka fights Alex Pereira this weekend at MSG

And attempting to become a two-weight champion just three years deep into his tenure with the UFC, Pereira appeared at a press conference today on the East Coast – facing off with former Rizin FF champion, Prochazka in an intense staredown between the two light heavyweight finishers. 

Also appearing at the presser, heavyweight contenders, Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall featured on the stage, themselves facing off ahead of their impromptu interim heavyweight title fight – following the withdrawal of pound-for-pound number one and incumbent heavyweight championship holder, Jon Jones. 

Who wins this weekend at UFC 295: Jiri Prochazka or Alex Pereira?

Mackenzie Dern Details fallout from her divorce ahead of UFC 295: ‘This whole fight is still paying my ex’

Mackenzie DernMackenzie Dern hopes that someday soon, she can look back and see all of the chaos behind her instead…

Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie Dern hopes that someday soon, she can look back and see all of the chaos behind her instead of constantly surrounding her.

Ahead of her clash with Angela Hill in May, news broke that Dern was in the middle of a tumultuous divorce with her ex-husband that also included a custody battle for their daughter. By the time fight night rolled around, her divorce had been finalized, but as anyone who has gone through the process knows, it rarely ends with the paperwork.

“I realized we always have problems,” Dern said during the UFC 295 media day. “Just the pressure. The last one I went through the divorce. The divorce is final but you don’t realize how much aftermath there is to it. Literally, this whole fight is still paying my ex. It’s crazy, I have to get punched in the face and you work so hard and you do all this and you have to like pay that much of something.

“Money’s something, I’ll fight here, I’ll get it, whatever. Winning or losing, everything’s going to be taken care of. I’ll make more [money] and stuff like that but it’s just problems” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Adding to the chaos ahead of her highly anticipated return to the Octagon on Saturday night was the closing of her gym. To compensate, Dern set up a private training facility in her home and spent some time training with former two-division UFC titleholder Henry Cejudo.

“RVCA closed so I basically made my own home gym,” Dern explained. “You just keep investing in your dream and hope that it works. I’m trying to make everything private at home because you’re just very vulnerable when everyone’s seeing your training. I’m a world champion in jiu-jitsu but people see me in the gym and I’m crying, I’m frustrated because I feel I should be better at something. I feel like I should be able to get it and I don’t get it. It’s not working.

“There’s injuries and there’s a ton of stuff that keeps going on and you’re like I just want to be able to train and get better. I don’t know. In the fight it comes out. It all works out.”

Mackenzie Dern Refuses to use her personal struggles as an excuse

Slowly becoming a master of the chaos, Mackenzie Dern decided to inject a new dynamic into her home.

“I got a new puppy — I think I even invent more problems, more chaos,” Dern said with a laugh. “I thrive on that, the craziness. The puppy and all these things. Getting used to splitting your daughter half of the time with you, half of the time with the dad and all these things. You’re learning so many new dynamics in your routine.

“My whole life when I was training to be a world champion in jiu-jitsu, my best times of being a world champion was when I had a routine and I had a schedule and you’re able to keep focused. I think that’s why it’s hard to be a mom and try to be a world champion, to be the champion in the UFC because you need to be consistent in your training. When you don’t feel you’re consistent in your day-to-day life, one day is this, one day is that, you’re like I just need to train. You just make it work.”

Dern did make it clear that she was by no means creating excuses for herself, recognizing that other fighters deal with these same personal issues all the time. In fact, her UFC 295 opponent, Jessica Andrade, revealed that she was also going through a divorce ahead of Saturday’s showdown.

“It definitely wasn’t easy but I understand that’s what everyone goes through,” Dern said. “Everyone’s having problems. Everyone has injuries, we’re fighters. I think Jessica, she talked about she had a divorce, too. It’s kind of crazy the fans get to watch us let out all of our stress and everything on another person in a fight but that’s what we’re trained for. That’s what makes the victory more special.”

Mackenzie Dern enters her fight with Andrade alternating wins and losses in her last four bouts. Overall she is 8-3 under the UFC banner and on the cusp of a potential strawweight title opportunity. With a big win over ‘Bate Estaca’ in Madison Square Garden, Dern’s next fight could very well be for UFC gold.

Daniel Cormier Believes Jiri Prochazka’s ‘Ring Rust’ will loom large in UFC 295 title tilt against Alex Pereira

Jiri ProchazkaJiri Prochazka returns to the Octagon nearly 18 months removed from his instant classic with Glover Teixeira at UFC…

Jiri Prochazka

Jiri Prochazka returns to the Octagon nearly 18 months removed from his instant classic with Glover Teixeira at UFC 275.

‘Denisa’ captured the light heavyweight title that night, securing a fifth-round submission over Teixeira in a back-and-forth Fight of the Year contender. Unfortunately, Prochazka never had the opportunity to defend his title. Instead, he opted to vacate the championship after sustaining a shoulder injury that would require surgery to repair. More than a year later, Prochazka is once again healthy and ready to reclaim the gold that he never technically lost.

Standing in his way will be Alex Pereira, an accomplished kickboxer who has already claimed one UFC title courtesy of a stunning knockout against Israel Adesanya last year.

Offering his take on the highly anticipated title tilt at UFC 295, Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier recognizes that Prochazka is a special athlete, having captured a championship just two fights into his run with the promotion.

“He has not been here long, so for him to have been UFC champion in such a short period of time tells you how special of a talent he is,” Cormier said during a recent episode of DC&RC. “But, with him winning as he did, with a lot of frequency that he was in the Octagon, I believe that that consistency helped him to where he was able to get that UFC championship belt” (h/t MMA Mania).

Prochazka’s Lengthy Layoff Could Be the deciding factor at uFC 295

With that said, Daniel Cormier is not convinced that Prochazka will be 100 percent when he steps inside the Octagon on Saturday night. Even if ‘Denisa’ can go physically, Cormier believes that the lengthy layoff will be a big factor in the high-stakes affair.

“I think that this layoff is going to hurt him,” Cormier claimed. “But, for Jiri, it’s got to feel like playing with the house’s money because he was supposed to be gone for another four months, 18 months. He got hurt last year. This guy is back in 15 months. They were saying 18 months until he was able to do anything. So, now he’s back fighting for the belt, but I do believe that this ring rust is going to play a factor, especially early.”

In the time since Jiri Prochazka’s last fight, Alex Pereira has competed four times, scoring wins over Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya before venturing to the land of 205 for a light heavyweight clash with former division champion Jan Blachowicz. ‘Poatan’ escaped with a split decision victory over the Polish powerhouse, setting the stage for a scrap with Prochazka under the bright lights of the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

“Alex Pereira has been very active,” Cormier added.

Daniel Cormier eats leg kick from UFC star Alex Pereira: ‘That’s why with you it’s always wrestle’

alex pereiraDaniel Cormier jokes around with Alex Pereira ahead of his showdown with Jiri Prochazka for the UFC’s vacant light-heavyweight…

alex pereira

Daniel Cormier jokes around with Alex Pereira ahead of his showdown with Jiri Prochazka for the UFC’s vacant light-heavyweight title.

Cormier is regarded as one of the greatest fighters that the has ever fought which of course comes with a certain level of respect fellow fighters and those involved in the sport. ‘DC’ is also a beloved figure by many, since retirement his cheerful and friendly personality have been on full display with his media and broadcasting duties.

The 44-year-old often wrestles and jokes around with fighters backstage, showing off a few ticks or too. This time however, he would be on the receiving end of some leg kicks from one of the UFC’s most powerful strikers.

Alex Pereira and Daniel Cormier

“Tell him I want 25 (percent) but nothing crazy, tell him 25 that’s it,” Cormier said to Alex Pereira’s coach.

After receiving the kick, Cormier cold clearly see what the fuss what about, exclaiming –“That’s why with you it’s always wrestle, takedown!”

Alex Pereira Vs. Jiri Prochazka

In just his seventh fight with the promotion, Pereira is set to fight Prochazka this weekend for the vacant 205lb title. The bout has all the making to be a memorable one, both men poses serious power and fighting ending ability.

“The thing that makes him dangerous is all the experience he has,” Pereira said of Prockazka. “He’s a seasoned fighter. He’s dangerous, but that helps to keep me aware and not overlook the guy. I’m actually preparing to go over there and get it done. He’s a seasoned and experienced guy. That plays a part in it.” (H/T MMA Fighting)

the fight will headline UFC 295 which will take place in Madison Square Garden in New York. Also on the card will be a fight between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich for the interim hevaywight tile.

Who wins this weekend, Alex Pereira or Jiri Prochazka?

Anthony Smith ‘Definitely Thinks There’s a chance’ he fights Alex Pereira after UFC 295

Anthony SmithPerennial light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith believes there’s a very real chance that he could be the first man…

Anthony Smith

Perennial light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith believes there’s a very real chance that he could be the first man to challenge Alex Pereira, should ‘Poatan’ walk out of Madison Square Garden with the 205-pound title on Saturday night.

Pereira, who will be competing in his third title fight in less than a year, has the opportunity to claim his second UFC championship in as many divisions when he meets former light heavyweight titleholder Jiri Prochazka to crown a new king of the division. The belt currently sits vacant after Jamahal Hill was forced to lay down the title after suffering a ruptured Achilles during a charity basketball game in July.

Both Prochazka and Pereira recognize that Hill would be coming for the gold once healed up and ready to return, but with an injury that could take a year or more to recover from, it leaves the door wide open for another potential contender to earn their shot.

Enter Anthony Smith, a mainstay in the division’s top ten determined to score a UFC title fight before hanging up his gloves for good. Losing two of his last three, including back-to-back defeats against Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker, ‘Lionheart’ doesn’t appear to be a logical choice for title contention, but with so many injuries plaguing the top of the weight class, Smith believes he could benefit from the lack of contenders available.

I definitely think there’s a chance, for sure,” Smith said during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. “I mean, especially if [Pereira] wins. Looks good doing it. Wants a quick [turnaround].

He continued, “If Jamahal’s ready then it’s him. I couldn’t expect to jump the line on him and I would be jumping the line anyway, which I’m fine with. I think I’ve been around long enough.”

Alex Pereira Accuses Anthony smith of Being a hater

It’s safe to say there is no love lost between Alex Pereira and Anthony Smith. In August, ‘Poatan’ called out the part-time analyst and full-time fighter, believing ‘Lionheart’ has been consistently biased against him in his commentary.

“The issue is, he has his job with the UFC commentating,” Pereira said through a translator on an episode of The MMA Hour. “He’s got to do what he’s got to do, but we feel that since the beginning, he gives me no credit. For example, I made my debut, I came from Glory, he was like, ‘Yeah, he’s a Glory kickboxer, but now he’s fighting a very tough grappler, [Andreas] Michailidis, he’s going to be a wrestler and everything, it’s going to be too much of a challenge.’ I go and knock the guy out.

“Then he goes, ‘Oh, but that guy he fought wasn’t tough. He was a nobody. Now he’s going fight Bruno Silva, beat [Alexander] Schlemenko in Russia by knockout, he’s a beast, this is going to be too much for him.’ I go and beat Bruno Silva, and then that’s when [he says with] Sean Strickland… ‘Bruno Silva wasn’t that tough, but Sean Strickland, he’s a challenge right now. It’s not going to be good for him.’ I go and beat Sean Strickland.

“It’s always something [after],” Pereira continued. “‘Oh, Sean Strickland, that was not a tough challenge,’ and this and that. [He says] ‘He’s still got to prove himself. Now he has to go fight Adesanya!’ I go and beat Adesanya, and then after that, I go up to light heavyweight but [it’s], ‘He just lost his last fight. He’s too small for light heavyweight. He’s a tough fight, Blachowicz. He won’t pass.’ I go and beat [Blachowicz].

“It’s always something going on that Anthony doesn’t give me the proper credit that I deserve. He kind of hates on me a little bit” (h/t MMA Fighting).

‘Lionheart’ Snaps Back

Anthony Smith responded to Pereira’s comments, claiming that ‘Poatan’ had misunderstood him, particularly when it came to his comments about Pereira’s move from middleweight to lightweight.

“I’ll be honest: I texted Glover (Teixeira) yesterday and said, ‘What in the f*ck is this?’” Smith said on his SiriusXM radio show. “I’m trying to figure out which direction I’m supposed to go here. Did he take something out of context? Is he reading headlines, or did he actually listen to what I said? Because what I said was that, essentially, he’s the same size as everyone else. You think if I said Islam (Makhachev) is the same size as every lightweight, he’s going to come at me pissed off about it? No.

“My whole point was that he moved up to 205 so he’s not going to enjoy the same size advantage that he did at 185. That’s it. Is that crazy? Am I wrong?

Though we can’t necessarily see the UFC chomping at the bit to make a potential title fight between Alex Pereira and Anthony Smith, there is enough background between them to give the hypothetical clash a little nudge in the right direction from a marketing standpoint.