Jiri Prochazka might have earned himself the UFC light heavyweight title, but he wasn’t pleased with his own performance at UFC 275. At the post-fight press conference, the UFC’s first Czech champion condemned his “horrible performance” in the evening’s main event.
“It was, from my side, it was a horrible fight, a horrible performance. Honestly. You saw that fight. In some moments, I just survived.
My plan, not plan – f***… not plan. My life’s plan is to be dominant in the fight and not just be a survivor. To be a hunter, and that will be my next fight, and I will show that. I don’t want to fight like that. It’s tough, it’s full of blood, and it’s not beautiful – maybe it’s beautiful for you, you like to be entertained.
Prochazka Blasts His “Horrible Performance” Despite Title Win
But for a fighter, I like to fight clean.”
The fight, up until the end, could easily have gone Glover Teixeira’s way. Some clean strikes wobbled Prochazka, and it’s arguable that, had Teixeira not overcommitted to his grappling in the championship rounds, Jiri Prochazka would never have secured the submission that earned him UFC gold. That’s what irritates the new champion the most.
“I had to give 100 percent. Maybe I’m glad for that. That fight was tough, and it was not easy.”
Prochazka also described how Glover Teixeira’s ground-and-pound failed to worry him, until a powerful blow lacerated the Czech fighter’s brow, forcing him to take the champ seriously.
“Very nice, very nice, but still nothing. I wanted to show him his ground-and-pound, he had no power to end me in there. But he had the power enough to open me, and that was very bad and it was right after to smile at him.
I said to myself, ‘OK it’s not time for fun any more.’”
Prochazka vowed to fix the holes in his game before his next fight, be it a Glover Teixeira rematch or an all-European title fight against former champ, Poland’s Jan Blachowicz.
“We knew all these things, what he had to do, and he was successful in that. F***. So I have to work on that, not just work on the training but working on myself to stop doing things that are not good in a fight.
Just do the things that are effective to defeat the opponent. I think that was the big mistake..
Doesn’t matter if it will be Glover or Jan, it doesn’t matter. For the next fight, I swear I will be another fighter. Not like that. That was not a good performance for me.”
Has Jiri Prochazka been exposed, or will we see another side to the new light heavyweight champ? Let us know in the comments.
