Jiří Procházka is willing to do whatever it takes to earn a third crack at UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Procházka will face former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill next month in a pivotal bout for both men at UFC 311. While Procházka is focused on the task at hand, he isn't naive about what lies ahead with a impressive performance against Hill.
Procházka and Alex Pereira helped save the UFC's International Fight Week pay-per-view card in June following Conor McGregor's withdrawal due to injury. With just weeks to prepare for his rematch against Pereira, Procházka came up short against the Brazilian powerhouse for the second time in less than a year, losing by knockout in the second round.
Despite two losses to Pereira, Procházka remains a central part of the UFC light-heavyweight title picture and could potentially skip the line with a finish at UFC 311. While Magomed Ankalaev is the likely next title challenger, Procházka has a chance to steal the spotlight from Ankalaev steal and make a strong case for a trilogy fight with Pereira.
For Procházka, a third chance with Pereira is not just about his legacy, but also about what he has worked his entire life to achieve.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jiri Prochazka admits he 'wasn't grateful' during injury-ravaged title reign
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Procházka talked about the significance of a third fight with Pereira for a UFC championship.
“Maybe it sounds crazy or something, but I'm working on becoming a champion [again]”, said Procházka. “Every time I'm just focused on what's in front of me. What's next? Right now it is Jamahal Hill. Next? We'll see who becomes the champion and if it's Alex.
“For me right now, if there is a third fight with Alex, that would really be the fight of my life for me… the first time, when I won [the title]I didn't realize this was something important in my life,” Procházka continued. “I wasn't grateful for it, I automatically thought I would become a champion… and that's it. I wasn't grateful for that moment and to be humbled by it. So I said to myself, 'I want to go this way again.' Not one more time, but to go out there and take the belt, take the position of the best light heavyweight.
Before two losses to Pereira, Procházka captured the UFC light heavyweight title in come-from-behind fashion against Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. He recorded finishes over Dominick Reyes, Aleksandar Rakić and Volkan Oezdemir during his promotional stint.
Jiri Prochazka wants to leave no doubt about securing third Alex Pereira fight
Procházka vacated the light heavyweight belt in 2022 after suffering a shoulder injury just weeks after his UFC 275 title win. It took a year and a half to recover from the ailment, and Procházka eventually returned to the Octagon at UFC 295 against Pereira for Hill's then-vacated title.
Procházka faces an uphill battle when it comes to securing a third fight with Pereira, as the UFC rarely books trilogy fights when a fighter has two previous wins. One of the only exceptions is the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway trilogy, but Holloway lost all three fights in their featherweight title run.
After initially teasing a move to middleweight, Procházka is fixated on a third showdown with Pereira. His recent confessions about what a trilogy fight would mean for him make his UFC 311 showcase fight all the more enticing.
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