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Jiri Prochazka is less than one month away from returning to the octagon for the first time in over a year at UFC 295.
When he does so, he’ll square off with Alex Pereira in hopes of regaining the light heavyweight championship that he never actually lost.
And Prochazka believes he has at least one major advantage of the former middleweight champ.
“It’s for me a beautiful story and big challenge,” Prochazka told Shakiel Mahjouri. “I have to say, Alex, he’s not a good martial artist like on the ground on the wrestling but one thing he can do and knows what to do is his striking. It will be a pleasure to compete with him in the stand-up.
“He’s good in stand-up but not good in wrestling and all these things. He’s too much focused on striking. He’s very good at that but on the other things, other styles, he’s not good, too. I am not too good of a wrestler to say that but I think I am better than him. Doesn’t matter. That’s my opinion, my stance.”
Prochazka last fought at UFC 282 in June of 2022 where he won the light heavyweight title from Glover Teixeira.
But he suffered a shoulder injury in training shortly thereafter and missed over a year in order to recover.
Jamahal Hill then defeated Teixeira in a fight for the vacant title. But Hill, like Prochazka before him, had to relinquish the belt due to a kneee injury.
That gave Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev a shot at the belt, but the two fought to a draw, leaving the belt vacant yet again.
Now Prochazka has returned to claim what he feels is rightfully his. He’ll take on Pereira, who defeated Blachowicz via split decision in his light heavyweight debut in July.