Fully healthy, Jiri Prochazka vows to show Alex Pereira a new version of himself in title fight

Injuries are inevitable in mixed martial arts, regardless of one’s status. Despite having led the UFC for over two decades, CEO Dana White is familiar with receiving unfavorable news about his fighters’ health just days, and oftentimes hours, before a fight.

However, the news on Nov. 23, 2022, came as a shock. Jiri Prochazka, then the UFC’s light heavyweight champion, withdrew from his rematch with Glover Teixeira, scheduled to headline UFC 282 on Dec. 10, 2022, in Las Vegas, due to a debilitating injury to his right shoulder. The severity of the injury was unprecedented, as White revealed that UFC doctors considered it one of the worst they had seen. Knowing that his recovery would take at least a year, Prochazka decided to relinquish his light heavyweight title to avoid holding up the division.

Prochazka acknowledged the difficulty of his rehabilitation, stating, “An injury like this, it’s difficult in many ways. You have to stay calm and control your mind because you have a lot of thoughts.” Despite this, he diligently began the process of rehabilitating his shoulder and was able to return to training within 18 weeks.

Prochazka acknowledged that his injury required acceptance and a calculated approach to rehabilitation, emphasizing the need for hard work to achieve his full potential.

While preparing to face Alex Pereira in UFC 295, Prochazka acknowledges that he is not the same fighter he was before. He embraced change, constantly aimed to evolve and upgrade his fighting style to be better, despite his achievements and past battles.