Jiri Prochazka’s warrior spirit never shies away from a violent scrap. If it were for the light heavyweight gold, then his mental state would become even more locked in. However, it shocked everyone when he surprisingly turned down a title fight against none other than Magomed Ankalaev, the man he arguably despises the most! Reason? Not because he’s waiting on another contender. It’s because of ‘BJP’s pursuit of academic excellence. 

The ‘Czech Samurai’ proved he’d fully bounced back from Alex Pereira’s head kick at UFC 303 by knocking out Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 in classic Prochazka fashion. Wasting no time, he called out ‘Poatan’ for a trilogy bout. But things took a turn at UFC 313 when the Brazilian faced real adversity at the hands of Magomed Ankalaev. Not long after, Prochazka and ‘Big Ank’ started trading verbal jabs online, sparking a brand-new rivalry.

A few weeks back, former two-division champ Alex Pereira’s cryptic viral post on X about the UFC stirred up speculation. One strong rumor suggested that ‘Poatan’ was offered a short-notice fight against Magomed Ankalaev for the UFC 317 main event, which he allegedly declined. The champ later revealed it was a work of a hacker and not him. Ariel Helwani was among the first to hint that the UFC may have approached a replacement instead, possibly triggering Pereira’s upset reaction.

Interestingly, Jiri Prochazka’s manager, Tim Simpson, was featured on Ariel Helwani’s show, where he said: “Yes, they inquired about if Jiri could do it. Just wanna know what their options are and I felt like it may not have been necessarily an option for sure. He’s doing his exams. That’s legit. He’s deferred them so many times. Like, man, ‘I can’t defer this exam. So, he wants to finish the exams. But also, he’s done a lot [of] short notice stuff for them before.”

That’s definitely an interesting turn of events. But does that mean we’re about to see Jiri Prochazka the scholar, and not the Samurai juggernaut who batters his adversaries for a living? Not quite. Turns out the former light heavyweight champ has simply set his priorities straight, one goal at a time. He’s not walking away from war. Well, he cleared it by posting on X: “Target by target.”

That’s a green light from Prochazka’s end, he’s not done fighting. Pursuing studies might just be a passion project, something he’s always wanted to explore outside the cage. It doesn’t mean the fire’s gone. If anything, it shows another layer of discipline. The big question now is: when will we see him back in the Octagon? Maybe once he wraps up this academic chapter, the Samurai will be back in action. 

However, the current light heavyweight champion isn’t sitting quietly, he’s itching for a fight. After two highly anticipated matchups fell through, frustration is starting to show. He recently reacted to the situation, and let’s just say he’s not too thrilled.

Magomed Ankalev reacts to Jiri Prochazka rejecting the fight

Since winning the belt at UFC 313, Magomed Ankalaev is not looking to sit on the sidelines. The Dagestani champ has shown zero hesitation about stepping back into the cage as soon as possible. He revealed that the UFC wanted him to headline UFC 317. Taking a jab at the division, he fired off a post on X: “I was offered to fight Alex International Fight Week. If the man don’t want it, let’s move on. I’m ready for everyone. I dare you.”

That’s definitely a strong callout to everyone in the light heavyweight division. However, when Jiri Prochazka also declined to answer the call, Ankalaev didn’t hold back his frustration. He took shots, claiming that both Pereira and Prochazka are dodging him. The Dagestani powerhouse also doubled down, calling out the entire division once more time, boldly declaring that the gold is up for grabs. Ankalaev posted on X: Guys is there anyone in the Light Heavyweight division who’s willing to fight me? Because Jiri and Alex do not want to fight.”

Gutsy? You bet! Magomed Ankalaev has grown bold as a champion, fully embracing the role and keeping the fire alive in the light heavyweight division. His callouts and confidence show just how much self-belief he’s gained after toppling one of the UFC’s biggest stars. But with the UFC 317 main event between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira already locked in, ‘Big Ank’ will have to hold the line a little longer before stepping back into the Octagon.

With that being said, do you think Magomed Ankalaev vs Alex Pereira rematch is next? Or Jiri Prochazka will jump out of nowhere, stealing ‘Poatan’s shot of redemption. Please commment down your thoughts!