Jiri Prochazka gets emotional as he talks about his current position and next move following UFC 305 main event result… 'I'll follow him'
26/08/2024 12:10
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka was considering a move down to the middleweight division following his UFC 303 loss to Alex Pereira and he has revealed that the recent UFC 305 main event has confirmed his plans.
This past June, Jiri Prochazka had the chance to avenge his UFC 295 loss against Alex Pereira when the two were matched up on late notice to save the UFC 303 main event after Conor McGregor withdrew.
Unfortunately for the former champion, ‘Poatan’ retained the title with a devastating second-round knockout, leaving Prochazka with a dilemma on what his next move would be.
Jiri Prochazka gets emotional as he talks about a recent pilgrimage
Following the tough loss, the 31-year-old claimed that he either needs to ‘evolve or retire’, and revealed that he would consider moving down to 185lbs to chase the middleweight title instead.
Prochazka recently went on a pilgrimage where he and his team took a month away from full training, attempting to rediscover himself.
“I never see a break as a true vacation; I need to stay immersed in what I do and in my craft. And that’s how I approached the Camino, the pilgrimage of the 400 kilometers I walked. I approached it more as a training exercise, clearing my head while also relaxing a bit by the sea,” Prochazka began to explain in a video on his YouTube channel.
The former light heavyweight champion has been known to be in touch with his spiritual side, and he got emotional when describing what phase of his life he is in.
“At this moment, I am in a phase of clearing myself from injustices, from false opinions, and wrong people. All lies just burn away and only the truth remains. So that’s the reality,” Prochazka said as he began to get emotional.
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Jiri Prochazka claims he will ‘follow’ Du Plessis and move to 185lbs
The current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis recently retained his title at UFC 305 after submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round.
Prochazka was in attendance in Perth, keeping a very close eye on the main event, and believes the result may have decided his next move.
“I’m already thinking that I’d like to fight again. I’ve been considering that if Adesanya wins, I’ll stay in the light heavyweight division, but if Du Plessis wins, I’ll follow him. I’ll clear things up a bit there and take the belt.
“It would certainly be a challenge for me to go for the belt in the (middleweight) division and then move (back) up,” Prochazka claimed.
The reason why the Czech fighter was waiting for the culmination of UFC 305, is because he and Adesanya are managed by the same team and so he doesn’t want to fight ‘The Last Stylebender’.
With ‘Stillknocks’ successfully retaining the title, Prochazka vowed to ‘follow him’. Unfortunately, though, he will likely need at least one win in the middleweight division before he is considered for a title shot, with Sean Strickland likely the next challenger.
