After competing at a brisk pace early in his career, Jiri Prochazka has seen his activity slow since joining the UFC. So while he’s fighting for a title this Saturday at UFC 275, it’s been a year since he last saw action.
Prochazka (28-3-1) believes it’s all part of the process, however. As he explained during this week’s UFC 275 media day, early in his career, “I was finding my style, and now, I’m just sharpening the details. This time between the fights, it’s helping me to be better in every step. Because now, I’m taking every training like the last training, like a fight. That’s helping me to be better.”
Many see light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira’s path to victory against Prochazka as being through wrestling. But Prochazka feels he’s ready for the ground game, if it comes to that.
“I think I can wrestle with him easily,” the Czech fighter opined. “I can wrestle with him, I can react for his fakes for his wrestling. And the jiu-jitsu, the ground game, I’m not like other fighters who want to play jiu-jitsu or train jiu-jitsu. For me, the ground game is simple. Ground and pound, and find the finish. Nothing else.”
Ahead of UFC 275, UFC Hall of Famer and all-time great Georges St-Pierre said that he viewed Prochazka as a future champion. The light heavyweight was thrilled to hear those words.
“Man that’s a huge honor. That’s a huge honor. I read that yesterday. I have to say, he’s a true— I thought about it, and I think he’s true warrior. Because he’s still working. He’s not fighting actively, but he’s still working. Because he loves it. And I’m the same. I love that. I love the fighting, and it’s a big honor for me.”
Watch the full UFC 275 media day appearance from Jiri Prochazka above. The event takes place this Saturday, June 11, 2022 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
