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“I Ain’t Believing This” – Jiri Prochazka’s Staph Infection “Excuse” Ridiculed by Fans as Ex-UFC Champ Confesses About His Injury Before Alex Pereira Fight

Published 01/16/2024, 3:53 AM EST

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Jiri Prochazka was considered one of the most sought-after fighters to win the light heavyweight title until he faced Alex Pereira. ‘Poatan’ and Prochazka clashed on the main card of UFC 295 for the vacant light heavyweight title. Their match was filled with heavy punches being thrown at each other, but in the end, it was Pereira who clinched the victory. Months after the bout, Prochazka revealed that he had been battling a Staph infection at the time of the fight.

After staying out of the Octagon for almost a year and a half, Prochazka insisted on fighting despite not being able to train and prepare properly due to the infection. The ͏ailment originated on his leg and extended all the way to his ear. Despite his confession, fans believe that Prochazka is just making ‘excuses.’

Jiri Prochazka confesses about his Staph infection

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Jiri Prochazka took the defeat like a man and accepted it. Months have gone by since their fight and Prochazka while in conversation on ‘The MMA Hour,’ revealed details as to why he failed to show up at his best.

“From the last weeks of preparation, I train just one week (because of) staph infection. After the fight, I fought with that for more than one month. I had antibiotics before the fight, so the last five weeks before the fight (I couldn’t train properly),” said Prochazka.

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Despite grappling with a staph infecti͏on͏ and facing tra͏in͏ing setbacks, Jiri Prochazka never consi͏dered withdra͏wing from the fight. He maintained unwavering confidence in his ability to defeat Alex Pereira at UFC 295, even while co͏ntendin͏g with the ailment- “No. When I saw Jon Jones was injured, I thought, man what to say, doesn’t matter, I’m a warrior, and I’m going to fight.”

He further added ” I’m going to win every fight, it doesn’t matter. Many times in a fight, I’ve dealt with sickness, injuries, many things, and I believe I can win. When you believe you can win, the way is open. That’s why I’m going to every fight,”  Despite his warrior-clad aspiration, Prochazka suffered a second-round TKO.

After experiencing a setback, Prochazka is gearing up for a comeback in the Octagon on April ͏13th at ͏UFC 300, where he will face off against Aleksandar Rakic. A victory in this bout might just pave͏ the way for another shot at ͏the championship and a rematch͏ with Pereira. Nevertheless, fans are not amused by Prochazka’s confession.

Fans are not happy with Prochazka’s revelations

As soon as the news about Prochazka’s infection went viral, fans rushed to the internet to express their opinion. However, there’s a catch to it. Fans were not happy about Prochazka declaring his weakness months after the fight.

Starting off, one of the fans emphasized that Prochazka should stop making excuses and accept the reality.

Stop the excuses. Alex is a dawg

Additionally, a ͏fan claimed that Prochazka suffered from a left hook after contracting a staph ͏infection. He was referring to the knockout delivered by Pereira.

“Suffered from a left hook infection after”.

Moreover, one fan claimed that it has become a common phenomenon for fighters to add such statements after their defeat.

“Seems like we get one of these breaking news excuses after every main event fight nowadays.”

Besides, a fan was in denial and asserted that he would not believe Prochazka’s comments unless he saw the video himself.

“Nah bro, I ain’t believing this bs until I see it on video. No way in hell Jiri made these type of comments, just no way.”

One of the fans raised doubts over Prochazka’s statement and questioned how was he cleared for the fight.

“How was he medically cleared to fight I wonder then?”

Lastly, a fan showcased a reality check to the fighter. He emphasized that Tom Aspinall won the interim heavyweight title despite having less time to prepare against Sergei Pavlovich.

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“Pavlovich had a full camp and Tom didn’t”

Watch This Story: Jorge Masvidal And Chael Sonnen Go Back And Forth 

From the reactions of the fans, it can be understood that they are not amused by Prochazka’s confession. They expressed that he should man up and accept reality.

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Regardless, what is your opinion on his confession? Tell us in the comments below.

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Written by:

Suryakant Das

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I'm Suryakant Das, an avid sports enthusiast from a family that cherishes the world of sports. I still vividly recall the day my father took me to watch Indian wrestling, sparking my fascination with the discipline and the aura of those warriors. Over time, my love for combat sports grew, and now, I'm a UFC writer at EssentiallySports.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das