Why the UFC’s most spiritual fighter must now overcome his own demons

Jiri Prochazka does not fit the mould of your mixed martial arts archetype. He would feel more at home among the fictional phenoms of the professional wrestling world. Because in this industry of big personalties, the Czech behemoth is no mere mortal; he’s a different beast entirely.

Whether it’s staring down arenas in the dead of night or swimming under frozen lakes to “face the essence of loss or death”, scarcely-believable footage of Prochazka in the wild gives vibes of a nature documentary. His samurai mystique , combined with an all-action fight style, makes him one of the UFC ’s most bizarre and brilliant commodities. But Prochazka is not just a gimmicky attraction.

He is a force to be reckoned with. And on Saturday, he may usher light-heavyweight into something of a new era when he faces Carlos Ulberg for the vacant title in the main event of UFC 327 , addressing unfinished business in the process. Jiri Prochazka fights for the UFC light-heavyweight title this weekend (Getty Images) Prochazka has reached the pinnacle of the division before.

The Czech dethroned veteran Glover Teixeira in June 2022 after experiencing a rapid rise through the ranks, but his time at the top ended quickly and abruptly as he was forced to vacate the title due to injury. His mission to reclaim the crown happened to coincide with the reign of terror of one Alex Pereira, arguably the UFC’s most formidable champion in recent memory . As if to avenge his mentor Teixeira, Pereira stopped Prochazka across two bouts, marking the only blotches on Prochazka’s UFC record.