‘Warrior’ Jiri Prochazka explains why he loves short-notice fights ahead of UFC 303 electric rematch

Jiri Prochazka reveals his love for exciting short notice fights.

‘Warrior’ Jiri Prochazka explains why he loves short-notice fights ahead of UFC 303 electric rematch

Jiri Prochazka reveals his love for short-notice fights (via Imago)

Jiri Prochazka, the human whirlwind of Czech MMA, is at it again. This time, he’s diving headfirst into a short-notice rematch at UFC 303. The former light heavyweight champion will face Alex Pereira this Saturday. It’s a chance for redemption and a chance to recapture that light heavyweight belt.

Prochazka’s love for last-minute scraps is as unusual as his hairstyle. He embraces the chaos well. His last fight against Alex Pereira ended in somewhat of a controversy. This time, ‘BJP’ would try to right all wrongs and win that title back that he lost.

I was born like a warrior—not I believe in that, I am the warrior and this is just about when the situation and the things around you come like that, you have to just say yes. To react to what happened…Right here, right now. That’s what I like about short notice because you have to react right now, right here.
Jiri Prochazka via The MMA Hour

For Jiri Prochazka, short-notice fights are more than just paychecks. They’re a test of his warrior spirit and quick-fire instincts. He compared it to reacting to a sudden street fight. No time to think, just pure, raw reaction. It’s an approach that would make most fighters’ managers reach for the antacids. But for Prochazka, it’s just another day at the office.

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Prochazka is a follower of the Bushido code. This means that for him, honor exceeds everything else. Accepting any fight at any time, no matter how little time to prepare is a part of Prochazka’s life. He even had asked to fight Alex Pereira at UFC 301, after fighting at UFC 300. Prochazka vs. Pereira II promises fireworks and fans are looking forward to it.

Jiri Prochazka was surprised that Alex Pereira agreed to rematch him

The former light heavyweight champ Jiri Prochazka is set for a rematch with Alex Pereira. This short-notice fight will take place at UFC 303 after Conor McGregor withdrew due to injury. Prochazka however was surprised when he found out Pereira had agreed to rematch him.

Jiri Prochazka surprised by Alex Pereira acceptance
Jiri Prochazka surprised by Alex Pereira’s acceptance to fight (via Sports Illustrated)

Prochazka couldn’t quite figure out why Pereira agreed to this sudden showdown. His theories for this acceptance by Pereira was maybe money, or something else. But the Czech fighter was content that he would fight for the title soon.

I was a little bit surprised by that, I can say yes. Because I don’t know what was the reason he said yes, if it’s money or something else, but communication with me from the UFC, they gave me some better—I don’t want to be concrete, but we negotiated about better money. So I don’t know how it was with Alex.
Jiri Prochazka via The MMA Hour

Prochazka himself negotiated better pay for the bout. But he claims that wasn’t his primary motivation for accepting. For him, it was all about reclaiming the title. The last time these two met, things didn’t go Prochazka’s way. He lost via TKO, though the stoppage was somewhat controversial. This time, he aims to turn things around.

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