Jiri Prochazka is a former Muay Thai kickboxing competitor who is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He held the light heavyweight title at Rizin FF and was the Czech GCF light heavyweight champion before switching to the UFC. He was born in the South Moravian part of Czechoslovakia and played football in his earlier years before shifting to combat sports. Jiri Prochazka won the national title in Thai boxing in 2011. He made his professional debut in mixed martial arts on April 7, 2012, against Stanislav Futera at GCF 10: Battle in the Cage. Prochazka quickly put Futera’s lights off by knocking him out in the first round, inside the first minute of the round.
Jiri Prochazka made his way into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2020 against Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 251. He put up a dominant show in his inaugural bout for the promotion and knocked out Oezdemir in the second round, which earned him the Performance of the Night award. He got a light heavyweight title shot against Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 after winning consecutive fights in the UFC. He won the light heavyweight title by submission in the fifth round and became the light heavyweight champion of the UFC. Moreover, Jiri Prochazka is set to face Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 on January 18, 2025.
Jiri Prochazka's championship reign
Jiri Prochazka faced then-UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 for the light heavyweight belt. The duo clashed and took the fight into the final championship round. In the closing moments of the bout, Teixeira was clutched in a rear naked choke by Prochazka, making him submit and win the light heavyweight championship.
A few months later, Prochazka suffered a gruesome shoulder injury, which forced him to vacate his light heavyweight title and recover. He locked horns with Alex Pereira at UFC 295 on November 11, 2023, for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title on his return. Prochazka failed to reclaim the championship and ended up losing by second-round TKO against Alex Pereira.
Also Read: Jiri Prochazka Next Fight
Jiri Prochazka's UFC record
Jiri Prochazka has a record of 4 wins and 2 losses in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He defeated Volkan Oezdemir in his first match in the UFC by second-round knockout at UFC 251. Prochazka squared off against Dominick Reyes in his second fight and defeated him in the second round by knockout at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Prochazka.
In his third outing to the octagon, Jiri Prochazka locked horns with Glover Teixeira in a light heavyweight title bout at UFC 275. He defeated him by fifth-round submission to pick up the win. In his most recent showdown, he went head-to-head against Alex Pereira at UFC 295 but came up short and lost the bout via second-round TKO. This was Prochazka's first loss in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
For his previous outing, Prochazka TKO'd Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300 on April 13, 2024.
He lost his last fight against Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight gold via a second-round TKO.
FAQs On Jiri Prochazka
A. Yes, he won the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 275.
A. He defeated Glover Teixeira to win the light heavyweight title.
A. No, he did not lose his UFC light heavyweight title, as he vacated it due to injury. However, he lost the bout for the vacant belt against Alex Pereira.
A. He vacated his UFC title ahead of UFC 282.
A. He vacated his light-heavyweight due to a gruesome shoulder injury.
