Athletes
Jiří Procházka Has The Belief In Himself
Former Champion Out To Show Why He Is The Best, While Starting His Journey Back To The Title
Jiří Procházka prides himself on not only making it to the top of the light heavyweight division, but staying there, and since making his debut back in July 2020, Procházka has been able to do that.
It took Procházka only two UFC fights to get his crack at UFC gold, and it came after back-to-back knockout wins over Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes. The 32-year-old went on to defeat Glover Teixeira to become the first UFC champion from the Czech Republic. Since then, it has been a bit of a bumpy ride for Procházka, who had to vacate the title due to an injury and then dropped two contests to Alex Pereira, who currently holds the belt.
Order UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano
It's been six months since fans have seen Procházka in action, and he finally returns to the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 311 against former champion Jamahal Hill. It feels like it was only a matter of time before these two were scheduled to face each other and, for Procházka, there was never a doubt in his mind to accept the fight.
“The fight with Jamahal was my initiative. The UFC offered me that fight when I was in Japan, in Kumamoto, and I accepted when the offer came. I'm happy to be here right now to have this opponent and to face the style that he has.”
How To Watch UFC 311 In Your Country
Following the losses to Pereira, Procházka is excited to face Hill because it will allow him to show himself at the highest form, and he is always eager to face people that bring out the best in him. When I asked Procházka what he brings to the fight that “Sweet Dreams” may not have seen before, he wanted to keep it a secret until Saturday night.
Jiří Procházka | A True Martial Artist
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Jiří Procházka | A True Martial Artist
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There’s no doubt Procházka is focused on the task ahead and defeating Hill, but that doesn’t dismiss the fact that Procházka wants to get his belt back, and especially avenge the losses that he has had against “Poatan.” He has all the belief in the world that he can make that happen.
“I've been saying to everyone, believe me or not, but I believe I can beat Alex,” Procházka said. “I can be the champion again and I really believe that all the keys, what I needed to have, I have right now and, for me, it's like a matter of time right now to go to the top, stay there and keep myself there because there was something that I needed to learn to keep myself on the top, not just to go to the top there and back, but to keep myself stable there.”
Procházka has always been someone that embraces traveling the world and experiencing different cultures worldwide. After his fight with Pereira, Procházka spent time away from the Octagon going to places all over the world, including Japan, Spain and Mexico City.
UFC 311 Full Fight Card Preview
The Czech felt that the time traveling to these different places was exactly what he needed to recharge and reset. Now, heading into this fight with Hill, he is ready to put on his best performance yet and then move one step closer to perhaps facing Pereira again in the future.
Saturday night, UFC will host their first event inside Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and it’s a card fight fans won’t want to miss. Atop the marquee are two title fights, but, at the end of the night, Procházka believes the spotlight will be on his fight with Hill, and he plans to steal the show.
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“Somebody told me this is the people's main event, so I think, with respect to the main event this Saturday, I believe every time I treat my fight like it's the main fight, but when I see this card, I think that our fight will be the main one.”
UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano took place live from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on January 18, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!