Prochazka’s Witchcraft Claims Against Pereira Cost Him
Jiri Prochazka was always facing a tough task to beat Alex Pereira when he started worrying about allegations of ‘witchcraft.’
In the build-up to their UFC 303 clash, Prochazka bizarrely claimed that Pereira was using ‘spirits’ in the big fights to get the better of his opponent. Alex refused to entertain such talk, as he knew he had the beating of the former champion. Pereira had stopped Prochazka at UFC 295 to win the UFC Lightweight Title.
Askren Reacts
Pereira delivered the goods once again. At the end of the first round, he dropped Prochazka, showing his power through his striking. The fight was over at the start of the second when Pereira connected with a massive leg kick on the head, as he followed up with flurries. The loss was devastating for Prochazka, who had chosen to take the fight on short notice once Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler was called off. Looking back at the fight, Ben Askren felt Prochazka knew he could not win.
“I hate it. If you start talking like that, that is a clear sign you’re going to get…[beat]. If you’re starting to worry about witchcraft, no, you’re done. You’re not going to win. I said, ‘Listen, if he’s worrying about witchcraft, this is going to be over quick. He’s going to get knocked out,’ and that’s what happened. … When you get that far, it’s a little too far. I said it – I hate this. I hate the fact he was thinking about this kind of stuff. If you think about that type of stuff, it’s probably over for you,” Askren said
Prochazka must now decide where his future lies. He has already won the lightweigt belt, meaning there is nothing else to prove in the division. He has also lost twice to Pereira in comprehensive fashion, meaning he is well away from getting a title shot. His coach, Martin Karaivanov, has suggested a move to middleweight.
Prochazka’s Future
The aim would be to target the current champion, Dricus Du Plessis. The South African will defend his title against Israel Adesanya on August 17 at UFC 305. The division has plenty of big names, including Sean Strickland, Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev, to name a few. While that may be the case, Prochazka is likely to be lower down the pecking order for a title shot. That leaves him with plenty to consider as he considers his next steps.
“Personally speaking I see [middleweight] as a potential restart and a positive step. He is also still at an age where he can cut weight to [185] relatively well. We will definitely talk about it. It won’t be my decision, but a team decision. Middleweight would make sense because it would be a new start, something new to focus on. A return to light heavyweight would make sense if and when it starts becoming difficult for him to cut weight to middleweight,” Karaivanov stated
Comments
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
