Jiří Procházka injury: How has the ex-champion worked to recover for Alex Pereira title fight at UFC 295?

Jiří Procházka is a former UFC light heavyweight champion. He was once scheduled to defend his title for the first time in a rematch against Glover Teixeira at UFC 282. Unfortunately, the pair's highly anticipated rematch never took place, as 'Denisa' sustained a serious shoulder injury.

The injury was so severe, in fact, that UFC CEO Dana White described it as the worst shoulder injury he has ever seen. Thus, Jiří Procházka elected to vacate his light heavyweight crown. But now, a little over a year later, the Czech samurai is set to return at UFC 295 in a bout for the vacant title against Alex Pereira.

But how well did he recover from his injury, and what steps did he take? After getting surgery done on his shoulder, part of his rehabilitation involved giving his shoulder time away from mechanical stress. In short, he didn't try to rush his comeback, as he wanted his shoulder to return to full strength.

Jiří Procházka elected to take things slowly, while encountering difficulty given the many angles a shoulder can move in. Besides taking things slowly to afford his shoulder the time to heal properly, 'Denisa' also engaged in shadow boxing and padwork in a slow, easy manner to regain the kinetic chain of his movements.

His approach has paid dividends, as he is now scheduled to make his octagon return in the second-last pay-per-view of the year, UFC 295, where he will face Alex Pereira in the co-main event for the vacant 205-pound title.

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How many UFC fights does Jiří Procházka have?

While he is the Czech Republic's first-ever UFC champion, Jiří Procházka didn't have to grind through a long stretch of bouts in the promotion to earn his first crack at undisputed gold. In fact, 'Denisa' was awarded a title shot after just two UFC fights, both of which he won by way of brutal knockout.

He faced Glover Teixeira in one of the greatest title fights of all time, submitting the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in round five. It remains his most recent bout under the UFC banner, meaning he has just three fights in the promotion.