'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jiri Prochazka has shot into the UFC limelight off the back of two finishes over ranked opposition. He made his debut in 2020, knocking out Volkan Oezdemir before following it up with a spinning elbow finish against former title challenger Dominick Reyes last weekend.
Despite only being two fights into his UFC career, Prochazka already looks set for either a title shot or number one contender fight next. This is no doubt due to his explosive fighting style and knockout power.
However, Prochazka has not been sitting idle between fights. He has been given the moniker of 'the Czech samurai' by fans, due to his unique haircut and the philosophy he follows. Thus you could say Prochazka has spent the past few months between his first and second UFC fights, sharpening his blade in preparation for war.
Prochazka "Erased" His Former Self In Preporation For Reyes
MMA is an ever advancing sport, and in order to stay at the top, fighters must continually evolve and improve themselves. According to a recent post-fight analysis video posted to Prochazka's YouTube page, he revealed that that is exactly what he has been doing.
Prochazka stated the following:
"The last six months, I was focused on eliminating my mistakes from my first UFC fight and changing my approach to the fight."
"So I completely erased my former approach. Also a bit of myself, because you have to do it when you need to change the style. And I started from a blank page."
How Hurt Was Prochazka?
There were several moments in the fight where Prochazka appeared to be in genuine trouble. One such moment came after Reyes landed a big strike on the Czech fighter, forcing him to shoot for a takedown, which nearly led to him being submitted via gulliotine. Prachazka had the following to say about how close the fight was to ending in that sequence:
"I was hit really hard. I wobbled and would not be able to avoid his hits so I went for the takedown. It wasn't the best takedown you've ever seen but I got the time I needed... I was able to catch two or three breaths."
Another similar moment took place when Prochazka was clipped by an upkick thrown by Reyes. The kick appeared to make Prochazka's body go limp for a moment. He gave a slight indication as to how hurt he really was:
"We went on the ground because I was hit hard. And when I managed to get him on his back I let him hit me hard again. That up-kick was really unpleasant."
