Former light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka made a stunning return to the win column at UFC 311.
Alex Pereira knocked him out when they battled for 205-pound gold at UFC 303 in June 2024.
'Poatan' also slept with Jamahal Hill during his last fight, which was headlined by Dana White's big UFC 300 show last April.
Jiri Prochazka and Hill pitched for the chance to face Pereira again on Saturday night at UFC 311.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Jiri Prochazka eliminates Jamahal Hill
The two fighters looked intensely at each other before Bruce Buffer made the introductions.
At one point, referee Mike Beltran had to step in and stop them from starting the fight early.
When they actually got to hit each other, there was a two-minute feel-out period during which both men were extremely nervous.
Ultimately, the match came to life with a Prochakza knockdown that sparked a shootout that made it a toss-up between the former light heavyweight champions.
At the end of the first round it was clear who was gaining the upper hand as Hill had a bloody nose and a swollen eye and appeared to be breathing with his mouth wide open.
The second round was interrupted by two eye pokes, but when the action was underway, Hill and Prochazka stood toe-to-toe in an attempt to knock each other out.
Hill probably got the upper hand. “Sweet Dreams” followed up with a liver shot that appeared to hurt his opponent as he started to gain momentum just before the bell rang.
Prochazka stopped that momentum at the start of round three. The Czech fighter hurt Hill and chased the finish, but the American showed great rebounding ability to stay in the fight.
Unfortunately for Hill, he was unable to bounce back as he was injured again. Prochazka followed him to the ground and landed ground strikes until the referee intervened to call off the fight.
Jiri Prochazka wants an Alex Pereira trilogy fight
During the broadcast of UFC 311, it was confirmed that Pereira's next opponent was Magomed Ankalaev.
The light heavyweight duo will meet in the main event of UFC 313 on March 8, which also features an exciting lightweight matchup between Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker.
During his post-fight interview, Prochazka expressed his desire for a trilogy fight with Pereira after previously suffering two knockout losses at the hands of the Brazilian.
“F*** man! I want a third fight with Alex Pereira,” he told Joe Rogan.
Fans went wild after the call before a camera panned to Pereira, who was in the crowd at UFC 311.
The champion was characteristically unmoved by the challenge as he delivered his 'Chama' slogan.
Pereira has a big fight ahead of him, and only after that can he even think about resuming his rivalry with Prochazka.
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