Jiri Prochazka catapulted himself to the top of the light heavyweight division in just his second UFC fight, knocking out top contender Dominick Reyes in the main event of UFC Vegas 25.
Dominick Reyes welcomed Jiri Prochazka to the light heavyweight division’s elite in the main event of UFC Vegas 25. Reyes was coming in on a two-fight losing streak, falling to Jon Jones and Jan Blachowiicz. Prochazka made an excellent debut last time out, knocking out Vokan Oezdemir.
Reyes took the center of the Octagon right away and Prochazka got things started with a lead right straight. Prochazka was switching between orthodox and southpaw, making it difficult for Reyes to time his counters. Prochazka landed a combination then avoided a Reyes flurry, but was caught by a follow-up shot. A long right hand stumbled Reyes, who recovered and backed Prochazka up before securing a takedown. Prochazka bucked out and got back to his feet. Halfway through the round, Prochazka caught Reyes with a combination and began firing away. Reyes was moving along the fence as Prochazka was spraying punches from different angles, keeping the pressure on Reyes. Reyes was firing back and landing left hands, but the pace of Prochazka was tough to match. A backfist and a left straight found the mark for Reyes, who was caught with another combination to end the round.
Reyes came out more aggressive in the second round, throwing a flurry of strikes in the opening seconds. Prochazka was waiting for his moment to explode, giving Reyes a chance to close the strike differential gap. After a Reyes combination, Prochazka nailed Reyes with a punch and we were back where we started, with Prochazka firing heavy shots. Out of nowhere, Reyes landed a left straight and Prochazka was rocked, forcing him to shoot for a takedown. Reyes countered with a guillotine, but Prochazka broke out and was able to reach side control. After a scramble, Prochazka postured up and landed some ground-and-pound bombs, forcing Reyes to rush back to his feet. Prochazka stayed on him with combinations, then throw a downward elbow that missed, that he then turned into a spinning elbow that knocked Reyes out cold. A stunning knockout to cap off a great performance.
Jiri Prochazka def. Dominick Reyes by KO (Spinning Back Elbow) in Round 2 (4:29)
