Prochazka continues to be a problem for the light heavyweight elite not named Alex Pereira
In a showdown between former champions filled with chaotic exchanges and the constant threat of a knockout, Jiri Prochazka proved on Saturday at UFC 311 that he’s still the best 205-pound fighter not named Alex Pereira.
Despite operating largely with his hands down throughout, Prochazka (31-5-1) relied on head movement to walk the tight rope in search of a finish. At 3:01 of Round 3, the Czech Republic slugger achieved just that when he twice floored Jamahal Hill (12-3, 1 NC) before finishing him on the ground inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Prochazka, 32, whose only two UFC defeats came via knockout in title bouts against the current champion Pereira, improved to 5-0 with five stoppages against everyone else inside the Octagon. And he used his time during the post-fight interview to make his plea for a third shot at “Poatan.”
“Maybe you don’t believe me but, f— man, I want a third fight with Alex Pereira,” Prochazka said.
The fight was tense and exciting throughout as the two former champions traded strikes from close range and took plenty of chances in doing so. But Prochazka, despite his reputation, claimed it was a deeper commitment to defense following his second loss to Pereira last June at UFC 303 that lifted him to victory.
“I expected everything, really. Everything,” Prochazka said. “After my last fight, I said, I don’t know what it was but I wanted to have more hands up. I hoped it worked. I think you saw it. In training, [I worked on] a lot of important things. Of course, I will be me every time and do my challenges in nature and meditation. But, only one thing, hands up, just a little bit.”
Prochazka, a former RIZIN light heavyweight champion, floored Hill in Round 1 with a beautiful left hand. But Hill, 33, rallied in Round 2 to outwork Prochazka behind stiff jabs from the southpaw stance despite eye pokes from both that twice stalled the action.
In Round 3, Prochazka turned his focus more to counter punches and it ultimately proved to be the difference, particularly when Hill targeted the body.
Hill was dropped by a beautiful counter combination that Prochazka finished with a short left hook. Prochazka quickly took his back and poured on punches from behind before the two fighters began trading wild punches on their feet.
An accumulation of short punches against a visibly hurt Hill, whose left eye was nearly swollen shut, led to a second knockdown before Prochazka quickly finished him off with hammer shots.
“We drilled these combos a lot,” Prochazka said. “I took this fight more important than any fight I fought so I’m very happy with this performance.
“[Being wild], that’s in my nature. I have this wildness and sometimes I need to catch some punches to release the true Jiri Prochazka.”
Prochazka shaved his head before the fight as a tribute to Ashly McGarity, a 37-year-old fan battling cervical cancer, who was seated ringside. He also donated $50,000 to McGarity, an amount which was matched by UFC CEO Dana White at Thursday’s final press conference.
Hill suffered his second straight defeat after being stopped by Pereira in their title bout at UFC 300 last April.
