Jiri Prochazka did not mince his words when responding to criticism from Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier.
After a loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 303 last June, Jiri Prochazka took some extended time away from the Octagon to try to 'evolve' his game.
The former light heavyweight champion returned last Saturday at UFC 311 when he defeated his former champion Jamahal Hill in the third round.
Prochazka showed marked improvements in his defense throughout the fight and even called for a trilogy fight against Pereira after his win.
READ MORE: Alex Pereira's next opponent and fight date confirmed with Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker in co-main event
Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG
Jiri Prochazka responds to criticism from Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier
Early in the fight, 'The Last Samurai' showed a clear development in his play, especially in his striking defense, which had previously come under heavy criticism.
In the first round, Prochazka clipped 'Sweetdreams' Hill several times and clearly won the first five minutes.
Despite winning the majority of the exchanges, there were a few instances where Prochazka was clipped by Hill as he returned to his old way of keeping his hands low.
And that drew criticism from commentators, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, who noticed that Prochazka dropped his hands again and also noticed that he was overdoing it in the final round while letting his guard down.
During the UFC 311 post-fight press conference, the 32-year-old was made aware of the commentators' criticism, which he was not very happy with.
“I had my hands in the first round?” Prochazka asked with a confused look on his face.
“F*** them, f*** them. I worked so much on that, so I think they should see that,” he continued.
Although frustrated by the criticism coming his way, the former champion was critical of himself for his defense against Pereira.
“To be honest, in my last fight with Alex it was a bit too much to be so satisfied with the hands-down, even after reaching the second round after the knockdown,” he continued.
What's next for Jiri Prochazka after UFC 311?
Despite Prochazka holding out hope that he can fight Pereira for a third time, 'Poatan's next title defense has been booked against Magomed Ankalaev for UFC 313 on March 8.
Unfortunately for Prochazka, the 205lb division will seemingly have to move on from that matchup and will likely need at least one more win before the Brazilian champion will consider a rematch with him.
Former title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr will also look to secure another title shot and will need a rebound win himself, with that fight making a lot of sense for both contenders.
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