Jiri Prochazka had a chance to settle the score with Alex Pereira. But came up short. While he isn’t actively chasing another shot at redemption, he hasn’t ruled out a trilogy bout with the Brazilian either. The former light heavyweight champion now turns his focus to Carlos Ulberg, whom he’s set to face at UFC 327 on April 11 for the interim title. Still, in the lead-up, ‘BJP’ has made it clear: a path back to Pereira remains within his sights.

“For me, every fight is [like a] title fight,” Prochazka told MMA Junkie. “This is the first thing [that] I have to say. And I don’t look to have some revenge against Pereira or whatever. I’m just looking to show my best performance, and that’s it. If I [meet Alex] in the future in the next, third fight, I will, I hope, and I believe that I will show my best and I will win. But till that moment, I’m looking [at] what’s before me.

The Brazilian kickboxer is currently slated to fight Ciryl Gane at the June 14 Freedom 250 card in the heavyweight division for the interim belt. If he wins, Pereira, of course, would go on to face champion Tom Aspinall for the full version of the belt, making his return to light heavyweight unlikely. And Procházka feels the same way about Alex Pereira’s next move.

“I think no [he isn’t coming back down,” Prochazka added. “I think I have to go to the heavyweight.

When asked whether he intends to make such a move, in the footsteps of Alex Pereira, the former champion didn’t dismiss the possibility. He explained that while he prefers to fight in lightweight, he is not necessarily opposed to the idea of moving to heavyweight. 

“When I fought in Rizin in Japan, I fought with the heavyweight guys many times. I can push my body to show much more strength and be able to fight with these types of guys, with these heavyweights, and still be faster, more endurance, precise, all these things, so it’s a really good idea for me.”

Interestingly, ‘BJP’ fought twice in the heavyweight division during his time in the Japanese promotion. He stopped Satoshi Ishii and Vadim Nemkov, but he was defeated by Muhammed Lawal during the final of the 2015 Rizin heavyweight Grand Prix. In any case, he first has to defeat Carlos Ulberg, and he is motivated to do so by one thing.

Looming fatherhood is motivating Jiri Prochazka to beat Carlos Ulberg

Jiri Prochazka announced last year that he and his long-time partner,  Kamila Kordulikova, are expecting their first baby. With his interim light heavyweight title fight on the horizon, Procházka now carries a deeper sense of purpose with his first child due just days after the fight. 

“The date of the fight is the 11th, and the date of birth is around the 13th, 14th,” he told the reporter. “A little bit of pressure… but this is what I like.

The 33-year-old previously revealed that his partner approved his UFC 327 fight near their child’s due date only because it is a title fight. And it might just have been the best decision. 

“Maybe I’m not realizing it yet, but I feel the power,” Prochazka explained. “There is something stronger than I ever met before.”

Since losing to Pereira, Prochazka has taken the opposite road to Israel Adesanya. The Czech native has defeated Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr., and looks to continue that climb in his upcoming fight. 

At the end of the day, even if Jiri Prochazka and Pereira were to have their trilogy, it’s not happening anytime soon. But how do you feel about the trilogy? Is it necessary? Can Prochazka beat Ulberg?