A lot has changed over the past year for Jiri Prochazka. By the latter half of 2022, the Czech was the UFC light heavyweight champion, preparing for his rematch against Glover Texeira. In sharp contrast, he ended 2023, title-less, coming off a shoulder injury, and with his first UFC loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 295.

With the UFC 300 anniversary mega card around the corner, CEO Dana White has announced that Prochazka will face #5 ranked Aleksandar Rakic, even as the main event for the PPV remains unannounced. As he prepares for his next challenge, he spoke about the state of his preparations with  Ariel Helwani on ‘ The MMA Hour.’

Jiri Prochazka begins camp for UFC 300

Jiri Prochazka will face Aleksandar Rakic on the main card of the UFC 300. Reeling from the Pereira loss, the first in his career, ‘BJP’ is looking to bounce back strongly and throw his name in the hat for another title shot.

Prochazka spoke to Ariel Helwani about his preparations for the Rakic fight and how he was dealing with his first UFC loss. He told the journalist that he was healthy and feeling good, and had started training for the bout last week.

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“Everything great. The last week I finally started the preparation so now I’m finally healthy and ready to start the preparation in full power. So I’m happy for that and to be back in the business,” the former light heavyweight champion said.

Speaking about the Pereira loss, the Czech seemed to have taken it in stride. He told Helwani he was not deterred by the loss, and saw it as a learning opportunity. The 31-year-old also opened up about the reasons behind the loss and made a very surprising revelation.

Prochazka trained for only one week before UFC 295

Jiri Prochazka said that he had contracted a bad case of staph infection in the run-up to UFC 295, which had hampered his training significantly. He told Helwani that he could only train ‘properly’ for one week before facing Pereira due to the condition.

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“I had a staph infection five weeks before the (Alex) Pereira match. It first started on my leg and spread to my ear. Due to this disease, I could only train properly for one week in five weeks,” Prochazka added.

Even with the minimal preparation he had, Prochazka managed to entertain the fans for as long as he was in the fight. With a win at UFC 300, he could very well be in line for a title shot. What do you think? Will ‘Denisa’ end 2024 as the champion again? Let us know in the comments.

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