Jiri Prochazka Uses Stinging Nettles in Bushido Training Ritual

Former UFC heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka walked into a patch of stinging nettles this week as part of what he described as a ceremonial strengthening ritual.

The Czech fighter, known for bushido-inspired training methods that have included blindfolded sparring and frozen lake swims, posted on Instagram that he completed the nettle ceremony to mark the transition from spring to summer. The plant's bristles inject compounds into the skin that cause a burning sensation. Prochazka wrote that the ritual requires enduring a night of tingling throughout the body before feeling cleansed and reborn the following morning, per Sherdog.

Prochazka's Unorthodox Training History

The 32-6 veteran has previously been documented doing 40-second sprints without breathing and swimming beneath ice as part of his samurai code-influenced regimen. "A ceremonial strengthening with nettles to mark the end of spring and the beginning of summer," Prochazka wrote. "All night, body tingling, but the next day, one feels cleansed and reborn."

Prochazka lost his vacant title bid against Carlos Ulberg at UFC 327 in April, getting stopped in the first round despite appearing close to finishing Ulberg with leg kicks moments earlier. His only two UFC losses have come against Ulberg and Alex Pereira, while all six of his promotional wins ended inside the distance.

No word yet on when Prochazka will return to the octagon or whether his latest ritual factors into a specific camp timeline.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Jiri Prochazka training methods include bushido-inspired rituals