Is Jiri Prochazka a samurai?

While competing in Japan during his RIZIN career, Jiri Prochazka was referred to as the 'Czech Samurai' by the local media. The UFC light heavyweight champion is also said to follow the "Bushido Code," a set of morales that dictate a samurai's behavior and lifestyle.

It’s highly doubtful that he has had any samurai training. The Japanese warrior class was abolished a few years after the country’s feudal period ended in 1868.

'Denisa' claims his coach gave him 'The Book of Five Rings', which was written by Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary Japanese swordsman. The book is made up of five main chapters - earth, water, fire, wind, and void.

Watch Jiri Prochazka's rise in the UFC here:

Speaking about his journey, Jiri Prochazka stated that 'The Book of Five Rings' is his "bible" and the teachings of Miyamoto Musashi have helped him during his MMA career:

"This is my bible. It's showed me the right way on how to do these martial arts."

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How many times has Jiri Prochazka lost via TKO or KO in professional MMA?

Jiri Prochazka has remained unbeaten in professional MMA since joining the UFC. However, the Czech fighter doesn't have a flawless record. 'Denisa' has lost three times during his career, with two of these defeats coming via TKO and KO.

Muhammed Lawal knocked out Prochazka back in 2015 while fighting under the RIZIN banner. Also, Bojan Velickovic TKO'd the UFC light heavyweight champion in 2012. Velickovic was also the first man to defeat Prochazka in professional MMA.

The 30-year-old's only other defeat in professional MMA came against Abdul-Kerim Edilov. Edilov submitted the Czech fighter in the first round in 2013 at Fight Nights: Battle of Moscow 12. Prochazka's sole draw came aginst Mikhail Mokhnatkin in 2014 at Fight Nights: Battle of Moscow 18.

Since transitioning to the UFC in 2020, 'Denisa' has managed to get the better of Volkan Oezdemir, Dominick Reyes and Glover Teixeira. All of these UFC victories came via stoppage, with Teixeira putting up the best contest against the Czech fighter. Prochazka is now set to rematch the Brazilian at UFC 282 this December.