Jiri Prochazka (28-3-1, 27 finishes) is on the cusp of UFC championship glory as he readies to challenge Glover Teixeira (33-7, 28 finishes) for the light heavyweight title on Saturday, June 11 in the UFC 275 pay-per-view headliner (10 p.m. EST) from Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. The 29-year-old knockout artist Prochazka recently spoke with The Post’s Scott Fontana via Zoom for this week’s Post Fight Interview.
Q: How much buzz is there in your native Czech Republic for your championship fight?
A: I think it is [exciting] for many people who know what MMA is because there are a lot of people who don’t know, who [are] watching hockey and football. But MMA is still growing. But I think it’s on a good way, and I have good support from Czech Republic. And I’m very glad to be [the] first guy who’s challenging [for] the title in the UFC.
Q: You are a believer in the principles of bushido. How do you apply that to your life?
A: [Bushido] is very simple rules which you can use for everything. It’s about what you believe in, what you love, how you want to speak with other people. It’s about loyalty to, not your team, but loyalty to yourself to live by my truth, what I’m feeling inside. It’s very simple, but these things are [the] strongest.
Q: How did your appreciation for bushido originate?
A: It all started in 2013 when, in our gym, my second coach Jaroslav Hovezak — the first one is Martin Karaivanov — gave me “The Book of the Five Rings.” And there was, like you said, the Bushido moral code, and that was very helpful for me because I was looking for something [that] can give me the base in martial arts, in MMA, because it was just like I’m going to training, and I just want to go hard and give the energy to the training, and that’s all. And that book gave me the idea, the basement of [the] idea, why I love to do these things.
Q: Aleksandar Rakic was dismissive of what he called your “fake samurai” lifestyle. What would you say to critics like him?
A: These people, they just don’t realize so much, I think. It’s just, you have to be a long time [alone] just with yourself to understand these words that I’m saying. If you don’t challenge your fears, and all these things, you can’t understand it. And it’s all about that. I’m understanding that everybody [is] evolving, in some step [of] evolution. Nobody is perfect. That’s why I [don’t want] to judge that.
Q: Of your 28 wins, 25 are by knockout. What’s the secret to such consistent finishing ability?
A: It’s naturally in me. I like martial arts and all these things, but I don’t want to be in the cage with this other guy in a battle [for a] long time, [only] as much as I have to. Yeah. So that’s why I’m looking for the way how to end it, but the smartest way economically, using all my advantages, what I’m realizing in a fight, and using the sharpest weapon.
Q: You’ve never fought past 15 minutes. How do you expect you’ll handle the championship rounds if needed?
A: My last five years and training included the organization Rizin where I fought 10-minute [first] rounds normally. And [in] my last two, three years, I’m fighting five rounds normally, training with hard conditioning pressure. So I’m ready to end it, to win it in the first round, second, third, fourth or five, doesn’t matter.
Q: Does fighting in Asia, where you competed many times, give you any advantage over Glover Teixeira since he hasn’t fought in this region of the world?
A: I think it’s a bigger advantage than [if we fought] in Rio de Janeiro (laughs) because that was the first [planned] place to fight with Glover. They spoke about that, the UFC. It [does] not matter for me where it will be. For me, it’s most important the performance, the feeling of the space in the cage to show my best.
Q: What makes Teixeira most dangerous?
A: He’s a very tough opponent. He knows how to survive the hard moments, and he knows how to go step by step and keep the hard pressure in the fight.
Q: How would you describe your fighting style to those who’ve not watched you before?
A: My fighting style is a mix of Thai boxing and karate, and that makes some weird kung fu (laughs). But in a fight, it’s not important what I’m using. I’m just doing what I see my opponent will not count [on]. That’s why I’m fighting like that. I like to be in the fight free-minded, so that’s why, in one second, I can jump with the knee or take the takedown. I like this variability.
Q: You signed with UFC right before the pandemic began after your 30th pro MMA bout. Was there a reason you didn’t jump to the UFC sooner?
A: There was. I wanted to go to UFC in, I think, 2016 [or] 2017, something like that. But my coaches, they [felt] I had to prove more, to have more skills from Rizin, to have a title and to to be a better warrior in this fighting life; to have better position in the [rankings]. And I think that was [a] good idea. And now I’m here. We’re just going for the title [the] fastest way as I can.
Q: Do you recall your first experience watching MMA?
A: Before high school, my first experience with martial arts was when I was playing “Tekken” on the PlayStation (laughs). That was my first experience. And then before I stepped into high school, my friend showed me Muay Thai videos with Ramon Dekkers, and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Fedor [Emelianenko]. It was around 2008, 2007. And I was excited by that. And after that, I saw the movie “Never Back Down,” the first one (laughs). And then I started to [train] martial arts, especially Thai boxing, and I really fell in love with it.
Q: You mentioned “Never Back Down.” Is there a great MMA movie?
A: The first movie, “Never Back Down,” with Jake Tyler (laughs). I think it was not so good [an] MMA movie but, for me, was very important.
Q: You can fight any person who has ever lived. Who do you pick?
A: It will be a little bit [disrespectful] because [I have] respect for these big masters like Morihei Ueshiba, [who] is [the] Aikido founder, and maybe Masutatsu Oyama, who was founder of kyokushin karate. That [would] be [a] very big honor from me. Not to fight him but to train with him, to understand him.
Q: Typical walkaround weight between fights?
A: Around 99, 98 [kilograms, or 216 to 218 pounds]. I don’t like to cut a lot of weight because I like to be in good condition all year.
Q: Typical weight on fight night?
A: 97, 98 [kilograms, or 214 to 216 pounds].
Q: Do you have a fight-day routine before competition?
A: I don’t like to have a routine, but some praying, some meditation, that’s [what] I like to do. And in the morning, small [conditioning] training. And be happy all the day (laughs). Be happy. It’s very important to be happy, to be in [a] good mood.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Never Back Down.”
Q: Favorite outdoor activity?
A: Playing football, swimming, and [paddleboarding]. I like to go on [the] paddleboard or wakeboard.
Q: Favorite video game?
A: “Tekken” and “Mortal Kombat.”
Q: What’s a perfect day for you that doesn’t involve fighting?
A: Every day is perfect. For me, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing.
0 Commentaires