Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka is leaving no stone unturned as he sweats it out in Thailand, training for his UFC return in Doha next month.
Prochazka takes on up-and-coming contender Navajo Stirling in UFC Fight Night on November 21 in Doha, in what will be the promotion's second visit to Qatar.
Czech Republic’s Prochazka has a point to prove. He is making a comeback after a chastening defeat to Carlos Ulberg in their title fight for the vacant light heavyweight championship in April at UFC 327. There, he suffered a first-round knockout despite Ulberg injuring his knee badly early in the bout.
Lessons have been learnt from the defeat. The main one is to finish the contest at the first available opportunity.
“Everything was settled,” Prochazka told The National about the fight against Ulberg.
“Everything was successful … kicks, good distance, the pressure, all these things. But once I saw my opponent was hurt … I was too much emotional. I felt like I need to work more to win the fight. Not just like that, not just one kick, and I see the crashing leg. I just didn't accept the easy win. So I started to play this game ‘OK, let's go, let's go for a brawl. I'm giving you the same chances’. And that was a big mistake. I learnt from that a lot. We are still learning.
“Then he just punched me, and that was it, that was the fight.”
That result forced Prochazka, 34, to go back to the drawing board.
“I made a lot of changes after my last fight. It's really deep preparation, because I made a lot of changes. I don't want to just go from fight to fight and take whatever results. I really want to win. Really want to go to Qatar and show everyone that I am one of the best fighters in the world,” Prochazka said.
There will be remnants from the last fight in Doha. His opponent Stirling enters the contest unbeaten and has a 6-0 record in the UFC. Plus, the Kiwi is sparring with Ulberg. Prochazka says he is prepared.
“My main weapon is to adjust. To change whatever I need to change to win the next fight. So, I really don't care if he's preparing with Ulberg or with whoever. He's a good opponent. But I believe I see a lot of space to catch him. And this is what I'm going to do.”
Showdown in Abu Dhabi
Next month will mark Prochazka’s second visit to the Gulf. His first one was the path-breaking UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi in 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, where UFC was the only major sporting event taking place across the globe.
Abu Dhabi will be in focus this week as well. The Etihad Arena hosts UFC 333, where Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev in the headline bout, while Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili play out their epic trilogy in the co-main event.
Prochazka has picked out his favourites for Saturday.
“I'm a fan of Volkanovski's style. And Volkanovski’s smart mindset. Yeah, but I see Evloev is really, like, a hard worker. So there is a lot of chances for Evloev to win the fight. Let the better man win,” Prochazka said.
“In the second match … I know, personally, Merab. I like him, like his style. But I believe Petr Yan is a smarter fighter. He is a much smarter fighter because he has more techniques. His style is something that inspires me. It's a great inspiration, especially some throws and high intensity of work.”
The Gulf region will forever be special to Prochazka. He made his promotional debut in UFC at Fight Island in 2020 and won.
“Abu Dhabi was an amazing experience because it was a totally new thing in the world,” Prochazka recalled.
“It was like a miracle for fighting sports, because all the world stopped because of coronavirus. Only one thing was going on, and that was UFC. For me, it was, like, I stepped into the league of the best. ‘I'm here, and I'm going for the title. And let me show my best’.”