UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka has confirmed who he wants to defend his championship against first.
While it may not receive the same kind of acclaim as it once did, the 205-pound division has historically been one of the most important in all of mixed martial arts. Some of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen have held a title at that weight class and now, in the UFC, the current king of the mountain is one of the most exciting yet: Jiri Prochazka.
Despite only being 3-0 in the promotion, the 29-year-old star from the Czech Republic already holds the gold and serves as one of the most intriguing competitors on the roster.
One of the biggest questions in recent weeks has been about his next opponent, with many wondering whether he’d be defending the title against Glover Teixeira or Jan Blachowicz.
After much speculation, ‘BJP’ has taken to social media in order to confirm who he wants to square off with when putting his strap on the line for the first time.
“Hello everybody, I wish you a great day - and I may decide for [my] next fight. I want to fight Glover in the next fight. Not because it will be another big fight, but just one reason - my performance was bad in the first fight. I will show you why I’m the champion, clearly, decisively. I think Glover deserves it.â€
“So, here is the offer. I will show you why I am the champion.â€
The FOTY contender
The credentials of Jan Blachowicz have been well documented as a former champ, as well as a man who just finished Aleksandar Rakic in his latest outing. However, Teixeira was the one who Prochazka captured the belt from at UFC 275 in one of the most electric battles in UFC history.
The two men went back and forth over the course of five rounds and with a minute or so remaining before reaching the judges’ scorecards, it was Glover who appeared to be on the verge of victory.
Then, after yet another swing in momentum, Prochazka got the back of Teixeira and submitted him.
If Jiri gets his way, they’ll have the opportunity to run it back.