Jiří Procházka will don a new look for his upcoming matchup with Jamahal Hill at UFC 311.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka shaved his head ahead of his upcoming UFC 311 clash to pay tribute to a devoted fan who is in the fight of her life away from the cage. Inside the cage, Procházka tries to make his fanbase proud again as he searches for another UFC title.
Procházka will face former defending champion Jamahal Hill in a pivotal UFC 311 main card fight on Saturday in Los Angeles. Both fighters are coming off brutal knockout losses to the champion, Alex Pereira, and are looking to make a statement on their return to the Octagon.
Last month, Bloody Elbow reported on a story about Procházka and a female cancer patient who wore his famous “War Hair” hairstyle in preparation for chemotherapy. It took just a few hours for Procházka to see our story and reach out to the unnamed cancer patient in a heartwarming way.
At the UFC 311 pre-fight press conference on Thursday, many verbal blows were exchanged between the main card fighters, especially co-headliners Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. But Procházka stole the show by revealing that he is donating $50,000 to cancer research, a donation that UFC CEO Dana White immediately promised on stage and that he will match.
Photos by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
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The Procházka fan was surprisingly flown to Los Angeles to cheer on the UFC star at UFC 311 this weekend. She is expected to sit cageside with several family members as she watches her favorite fighter competes again in the Octagon.
During UFC 311 media day on Wednesday, Procházka sported his usual “War Hair” hairstyle as he answered questions from media members. Immediately after his media appearance, he returned to his hotel room to shave his head in honor of one of his biggest fans.
Win or lose this weekend, Procházka's generosity is one of the burgeoning storylines in UFC 311. He and the fan will get a chance to meet sometime before or after his fight with Hill.
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Jiří Procházka's UFC 311 showcase just got a little bigger after the press conference
It's a heartwarming angle for Procházka and his team ahead of perhaps the most important fight of his career at UFC 311. After two losses to Pereira, Procházka finds himself in a must-win situation to keep his hopes alive for a trilogy with Pereira on the line, possibly even later this year.
Procházka took a gamble on short notice in a rematch with Pereira at UFC 303 last June, losing by knockout. It was a repeat of his first knockout loss to Pereira at UFC 295 for the then-vacant UFC light heavyweight championship.
In between Pereira fights, Procházka scored a come-from-behind victory against Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 300 last April. His performance showcased the best of his unique skills, a feat he will look to repeat this weekend at UFC 311 .
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