Jiri Prochazka captured light heavyweight gold in a hard-fought five-round battle at UFC 275 over the weekend, pulling off a late rear-naked choke submission to secure the title.
The first Czech champ in UFC history, Prochazka returned to his hometown of Brno in the Czech Republic on Monday. There, he received a hero’s welcome, with a massive crowd gathering to pay their respects.
Jiri Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) receives a Hero’s welcome in his hometown of Brno. He is the first UFC Champion from the Czech Republic in history. 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/EIh22iXfd6
— Paradigm Sports (@ParadigmSports) June 13, 2022
Prochazka (29-3-1) has had a stunning rise through the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Debuting in 2020, it took him just two fights to land a title shot against Glover Teixeira, after dispatching former title challengers Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes in violent fashion.
Prior to his arrival in the UFC, Prochazka reigned as light heavyweight champion in Japan’s RIZIN, where he also competed in the 2015 World Grand Prix. The 29-year old currently sits on an impressive 13-fight win streak, and has finished his last 11 fights.
With notable wins over Vadim Nemkov (current Bellator champ), Karl Albrektsson (current Bellator contender), King Mo Lawal (former Strikeforce champ), and many others, Prochazka had long been a prospect to watch in his rise up the light heavyweight division. The modern-day Samurai has lived up to expectations and then some, and now sits as the best light heavyweight on the planet, given his wins over Nemkov and Teixeira.
