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Jiri Prochazka Holes in His Game Exposed by UFC Legend as Alex Pereira’s “Fundamentally Sound” Striking Favored at UFC 295

Published 11/09/2023, 5:56 AM EST

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Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira at a glance seems to be a battle of fire against fire. Almost all agree that their bout will be a striking masterclass between two of the best strikers in the world. Prochazka is known for his unorthodox fighting style with a heavy dose of creativity and flair. Pereira, on the other hand, relies on his size, power, and strong fundamentals to overcome his opponents.

And this contrast is what makes their match-up so exciting and unpredictable. It is not only a bout between two great fighters and champions, but a battle of two different schools of thought on martial arts. This is also the reason the outcome of the bout is so difficult to predict. But, UFC star Anthony Smith discussed who he thinks will win, and why in their UFC 295 bout on November 11.

Anthony Smith predicts an early stoppage in Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka

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UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith joined MMA journalist Ariel Helwani to talk about the UFC 295 vacant light heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. The journalist asked Smith how he saw the bout going, which led Smith to break down how he felt the fight would go and the reasons behind it.

The Texas native did not think it would go the full five rounds and predicted a stoppage victory. He felt that Pereira had better fundamentals, which gave him an edge over the former light heavyweight champion, who he thought gave more opportunities for his opponents to attack.

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“I don’t think it goes the distance. I think given the way they strike, someone’s getting knocked out…. Obviously Alex is the better striker. Technically he’s more fundamentally sound. Jiri is a bit hittable, I think that if he’s smart though he’s probably going to shore that up,” Smith told the Canadian. He then talked about who he was picking to win.

Smith on who will win Pereira-Prochazka

Smith thought Prochazka should focus on not giving Pereira any openings as he had knock-out power in his hands. He also felt that the Brazilian’s leg kicks would be a very dangerous weapon, which would give Prochazka problems.

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“You can’t give Pereira free shots like… he’s obviously powerful enough to knock out a grown man… So I favor Alex a little bit just because he’s so fundamentally sound,” he added.

The 35-year-old picked Pereira over Prochazka due to the latter’s fundamentals being stronger. ‘Poatan’ is considered one of the greatest kickboxers of all time and was the first and only two-division champion in his former kickboxing promotion of Glory. Prochazka, however, has a unique and unorthodox style which makes him unpredictable and therefore dangerous.

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The fans are clearly excited to see them fight. Who do you think will become the light heavyweight champion at UFC 295? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Kanishk Thakur

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Hi, I am Kanishk and I am a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. I love telling the stories of these magnificent fighters and this wildly unpredictable sport that is so frustrating and yet so joyous at the same time. I never really used to watch MMA, thinking it too crude or brutal a sport to deserve respect.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das