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In an interview with SCMP MMA's Andrew Whitelaw ahead of UFC 267, Jiri Prochazka revealed how the fight between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263 inspired him. Prochazka said:
"Man, there are a lot of fighters... these two guys who had fight for the title... this Moreno with Figueiredo... yeah these two guys. I like the light guys because I like to inspire by this light moves and i saw nice techniques..."
Jiri Prochazka also mentioned Fedor Emelianenko later in the conversation. 'Denisa' admitted that Emelianenko has been an inspiration for him since the beginning of his MMA career.
Prochazka also revealed that he met 'The Last Emperor' several times in Japan during fights. 'Denisa' believes that Emelianenko is the greatest heavyweight of all time and unquestionably his greatest motivation.
Watch Jiri Prochazka's full interview with SCMP MMA here:
Jiri Prochazka talks about why he turned down Aleksandar Rakic
Jiri Prochazka was the backup combatant for Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira in the UFC 267 main event. However, he was not required since both men made weight. Prochazka mentioned he is aiming for the title in his next fight, also citing this as the only reason why he turned down Aleksandar Rakic.
In an interview with Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com, Prochazka said:
“I believe my next fight is for the title, that is why I told him no. That was the reason, that was the true reason, the chance to fight for the title. If there wasn’t this chance to fight for the title, I would fight Rakic and that is all. Nothing more."
The Czech fighter stated that he is open to fighting anyone, including Rakic. However, he claimed that he deserves the title shot. 'Denisa' also mentioned that being the backup fighter for the Blachowicz vs. Teixeira match had secured his place as the next title challenger.
Later in the interview, Jiri Prochazka claimed that Rakic's manner of talking is very disrespectful. He does, however, believe that the Austrian is a capable fighter. Prochazka concluded by saying that he will resume his training schedule after UFC 267 in preparation for his next fight, which he believes will be a title match.
