Jiri Prochazka fell short at the final hurdle once again losing to Alex Pereira with the light heavyweight title on the line. The Czech is now 0-2 against the champion and will have to work his way up once again if he were to get a shot at the title for a third time. However, that will be easier said than done given the depth and talent of the 205-pound division in the UFC. Still, Prochazka recently teased a return to the octagon following his attendance at UFC 305.
The former champion was one of the few athletes in attendance carrying out promotional activities for the UFC. After the event, ‘BJP’ took to his social media to post a story about what might be next for him. The 31-year-old said,
“Hello everyone, here in Perth. Just came back from training and the event. Really great event, nice fights. Congrats to everyone. And about my next fight, I will let you (know) soon. Stay here and now, let’s go for that.”
Jiri on Instagram pic.twitter.com/AkdF7kws1b
— MMAFanatic (@FanaticMma10) August 19, 2024
Unfortunately for Prochazka, his last outing did not play out as he would have hoped. ‘BJP’ was rocked at the very end of the first round by Pereira and was wobbling on his way back to his corner. As soon as the second round started a head kick landed on the money for Pereira and spelled the end of the fight for the Czech fighter.
The fight took place in June this year and since then, Prochazka has been taking time to recover and to heal his mind and body before going again. Given that he is 0-2 against the champion, Prochazka will have to string together multiple impressive wins to make a case for a third shot at Pereira. So who are the fighters Prochazka can take on next?
What could be next in store for Jiri Prochazka at light heavyweight?
Based on the current rankings at 205 pounds, Prochazka is ranked number one. Behind him are the likes of Magomed Ankalaev, Jamahal Hill, Jan Błachowicz, and Aleksandar Rakić who round out the top five. Ankalaev and Rakic can be ruled out as one has a fight scheduled and the other has already been beaten by Prochazka.
The fight that makes the most sense here is Jamahal Hill vs ‘BJP’. Both men fell short against Pereira in a title fight in their last fight and this would be a good opportunity to get back into the mix. Also, stylistically, Prochazka vs Hill would be a barn burner for UFC fans.
