5 stunning Jiri Prochazka finishes outside the UFC

The UFC's Jiri Prochazka is among the most interesting and exciting fighters on the planet. The Czech phenom has captured the imagination of the masses with his scorching highlight reel, unorthodox techniques, and unique approach to the fight game.

After winning and defending the GCF light heavyweight title, Prochazka signed with RIZIN FF. His four-year stint in the Japanese promotion culminated in him capturing the belt and retaining it a few months later. This prompted the UFC to come calling, and he's been lighting up the octagon ever since.

During his time in GCF and RIZIN FF, Prochazka compiled an astonishing tally of jaw-dropping knockouts. Prior to signing with the world's premier MMA promotion in 2020, his record stood at 26-3-1, comprising 25 finishes, of which 22 came in the very first round.

Here are five stunning Jiri Prochazka finishes outside the UFC.

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#5. Jiri Prochazka vs. Fabio Maldonado

In his penultimate fight before joining the UFC, Jiri Prochazka staked his claim as one of the best light heavyweights in the world with a dominant victory over Fabio Maldonado.

Prochazka was the reigning RIZIN FF light heavyweight champion at the time. Maldonado had just signed a one-fight deal with the Japanese promotion and locked horns with 'Denisa' in the main event of RIZIN 19.

Fabio Maldonado, a former UFC fighter, was considered a real threat to Jiri Prochazka going into the bout, considering his experience in both MMA and professional boxing.

While he never quite reached the upper echelons of the 205-pound division during his time in the UFC, he was known for his toughness and fight-ending ability.

Nevertheless, Prochazka made light work of the Brazilian, pushing him into the corner of the ring before unleashing a series of vicious hooks. The Czech phenom's barrage of punches proved to be too much for his opponent, who eventually crumbled to the canvas.

#4. Jiri Prochazka vs. King Mo 2

Jiri Prochazka shared an iconic rivalry with Muhammed Lawal, popularly known as King Mo, during his time in RIZIN FF. Casual and newer fans of the sport may not be aware of who King Mo is, but those in the know are all too familiar with the folklore surrounding this former Strikeforce champion.

Prochazka and Lawal engaged in a two-fight series between 2015 and 2019, with both fights ending with devastating finishes.

The first time the duo locked horns was in the final of the RIZIN World Grand Prix on New Year's Eve, 2015. Prochazka beat Vadim Nemkov to earn his place in the final, while Mo defeated Teodoras Aukstuolis to earn his place opposite 'Denisa'.

Mo battled through adversity and upset the odds in style in the final, knocking out Prochazka a little over five minutes into the bout.

The circumstances were quite different going into their rematch almost four years later. RIZIN FF's inaugural light heavyweight championship was on the line when the duo ran it back in the main event of RIZIN 15, which went down at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Throughout his run in RIZIN FF, as well as on the European regional MMA scene, Jiri Prochazka made it clear that he didn't need very long to dispatch his opponents. As discussed in the introduction of this article, he had a penchant for first-round finishes and rarely ever saw a second or third round.

For only the third time in his professional career, Prochazka was dragged into the third round after showcasing unbelievable toughness in the first two. King Mo had his moments in the opening rounds, but ultimately couldn't keep up with the pace and aggression of 'Denisa', who eventually found the perfect punch to avenge his only loss under the RIZIN FF banner.

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#3. Jiri Prochazka vs. Kazuyuki Fujita

Jiri Prochazka hasn't just competed at light heavyweight over the course of his career. During his stint at RIZIN FF, he regularly fought in openweight and catchweight bouts against fighters who've only ever competed at heavyweight.

At RIZIN 1 in 2016, he took on PRIDE veteran Kazuyuki Fujita in an 110 kg (242 pounds) catchweight matchup. Older generations of MMA fans will be familiar with Fujita, who has fought the likes of PRIDE legend Fedor Emilanenko, as well as former UFC fighters Alistair Overeem, Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Cro Cop and UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman.

The hard-hitting Japanese heavyweight floored Prochazka in the very first minute of their bout and subsequently landed heavy ground-and-pound strikes.

Prochazka managed to gather himself and recover from Fujita's early onslaught. He continued to force his counterpart to backpedal and eventually backed him into a corner.

A little over three minutes into the first round, Prochazka unleashed a quickfire combination of strikes, finishing with a thunderous left hook, which prompted the referee to intervene and call a halt to the action as Fujita came crashing down.

#2. Jiri Prochazka vs. Karl Albrektsson

The light heavyweight scrap between Jiri Prochazka and Karl Albrektsson in the 2nd stage of the RIZIN World Grand Prix in 2017 remains one of the greatest fights in RIZIN FF history.

The Japanese promotion is known for having a unique format and famously has 10-minute first rounds, unlike other MMA organizations. The first frame of the Prochazka vs. Albrektsson bout was a back-and-forth slugfest from start to finish and is one of the toughest fights of Prochazka's career.

The first eight minutes of the bout were fairly even, with both fighters enjoying moments of success on the feet. Prochazka's relentless forward movement pressured his Swedish counterpart to move backwards throughout the bout, and with Albrektsson clearly struggling with the lack of space to use his range, he was forced into a firefight with 'Denisa'.

In the dying seconds of the first round, the two light heavyweights found themselves exchanging heavy leather in the pocket. Prochazka's non-stop offense eventually prompted the referee to step in, as it was evident that Albrektsson just couldn't absorb any more strikes.

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#1. Jiri Prochazka vs. C.B. Dollaway – Prochazka's final fight before joining the UFC

In Jiri Prochazka's last fight under the RIZIN FF banner, he took on former UFC fighter C.B. Dolloway. Prochazka was the reigning and defending light heavyweight champion going into the bout and was likely looking to end his run in the Japanese organization on a high, considering it was the final fight of his contract.

Dolloway competed in the UFC for close to a decade after appearing on a season of the promotion's staple reality series The Ultimate Fighter. During his time in the American promotion, he fought the likes of former champions Lyoto Machida and Michael Bisping, but struggled to truly make a name for himself.

He left the UFC in 2018 and his first fight outside the octagon was this light heavyweight championship bout against Jiri Prochazka in RIZIN.

Prochazka came away with a resounding statement-making first-round knockout victory to solidify his standing as one of the best fighters outside the UFC. He caught Dolloway with a crisp uppercut-left hook combination, which lifted the challenger off his feet and put him to sleep.

Prochazka's iconic run prior to signing with the UFC will always be remembered as one of the greatest highlight reels we've ever seen in MMA. Now performing at the highest level and on the biggest stage, expect 'Denisa' to continue adding to his scintillating collection of knockouts.