'%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 garnered the attention of every top light heavyweight since his UFC Vegas 25 win over Dominick Reyes. No.3 ranked Aleksandar Rakic has been vocal about his intention to fight Prochazka in a potential title eliminator fight. Rakic believes he is the problem no light heavyweight wants to solve, including Jiri Prochazka.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Aleksandar Rakic said that Jiri Prochazka's performance against Dominick Reyes at UFC Vegas 25 had lent him the necessary motivation to work harder. Knowing that he could have been on the receiving end of the spinning elbow that knocked out Reyes has been a motivating factor for Aleksandar Rakic.
"He did a great performance. He's now a top contender. This fight makes sense against Jiri... The result that happened on Saturday is the bad thing that could happen to me because this wakes my attention, my motivation. "
Rakic also pointed out that light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is slated to defend his title against No.1 ranked Glover Teixeira in September 2021. Depending upon the nature of the fight, injuries, and the fighter's schedule, it is most likely that the winner of Blachowicz vs Teixeira will defend the title in 2021. That leaves Aleksandar Rakic and Jiri Prochazka the only top-ranked fighters that can fight each other in the meantime. Every other light heavyweight is coming off a loss or is ranked below Rakic (No.3) and Prochazka (No.4) in the rankings.
I'm even now more motivated to go back to the gym, to train harder and harder because we are all true athletes and this a hard business... I am so motivated and so excited that this fight against Jiri makes now the most sense. Glover gonna fight Jan in September, who is gonna fight Jiri instead of me? Who?" Aleksandar Rakic said.
Jiri Prochazka is waiting for the UFC to confirm his name as the next challenger to the title
Jiri Prochazka has only competed in the UFC twice but he has brought an element of youthful aggression to the light heavyweight division that it was missing for a while. Back-to-back knockout wins over Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes have propelled him into the discussion for a title shot. While talking about the prospect of fighting for the title in his third UFC fight on his YouTube channel, Prochazka clarified that the UFC has not offered the title fight to him yet.
"I didn't think I will get a chance so early. So I was surprised and I was like, 'Already? So soon? Okay, I am in.' We will see if that's true. But if it is, I humbly accept and I'm ready to get the belt, no matter the opponent," Jiri Prochazka said.
