Jiri Prochazka Reflects on Past Mistakes, Picks Favorites for UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi

Jiri Prochazka, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, is undergoing rigorous training in Thailand as he prepares for his upcoming return to the octagon in Doha next month. Prochazka is set to face the promising contender Navajo Stirling in UFC Fight Night on November 21 in Doha, marking the promotion's second event in Qatar. The Czech fighter aims to rebound from a significant defeat to Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight championship at UFC 327 in April. Despite Ulberg sustaining a knee injury early in their bout, Prochazka suffered a first-round knockout.

Prochazka has taken valuable lessons from that loss, particularly the importance of capitalizing on opportunities to finish a fight. "Everything was settled... kicks, good distance, the pressure, all these things. But once I saw my opponent was hurt... I was too much emotional. I felt like I need to work more to win the fight. Not just like that, not just one kick, and I see the crashing leg. I just didn't accept the easy win. So I started to play this game ‘OK, let's go, let's go for a brawl. I'm giving you the same chances’. And that was a big mistake. I learnt from that a lot. We are still learning," Prochazka told The National. "Then he just punched me, and that was it, that was the fight."

The 34-year-old fighter has made substantial changes following his last fight. "I made a lot of changes after my last fight. It's really deep preparation, because I made a lot of changes. I don't want to just go from fight to fight and take whatever results. I really want to win. Really want to go to Qatar and show everyone that I am one of the best fighters in the world," Prochazka stated. His upcoming opponent, Stirling, enters the contest with an undefeated 6-0 record in the UFC and is reportedly sparring with Ulberg. Prochazka, however, remains confident in his ability to adapt. "My main weapon is to adjust. To change whatever I need to change to win the next fight. So, I really don't care if he's preparing with Ulberg or with whoever. He's a good opponent. But I believe I see a lot of space to catch him. And this is what I'm going to do."

Next month's event in Doha will be Prochazka's second appearance in the Gulf region. His first was at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi in 2020, a landmark event held during the COVID-19 pandemic when UFC was one of the few major sporting events operating globally. Abu Dhabi is also in focus this week with UFC 333 at the Etihad Arena, featuring Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev and the trilogy bout between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili.

Prochazka shared his predictions for the Abu Dhabi card. "I'm a fan of Volkanovski's style. And Volkanovski’s smart mindset. Yeah, but I see Evloev is really, like, a hard worker. So there is a lot of chances for Evloev to win the fight. Let the better man win," he commented on the main event. Regarding the co-main event, he added, "In the second match... I know, personally, Merab. I like him, like his style. But I believe Petr Yan is a smarter fighter. He is a much smarter fighter because he has more techniques. His style is something that inspires me. It's a great inspiration, especially some throws and high intensity of work."

The Gulf region holds special significance for Prochazka, who made his UFC promotional debut at Fight Island in 2020 and secured a victory. "Abu Dhabi was an amazing experience because it was a totally new thing in the world," Prochazka recalled. "It was like a miracle for fighting sports, because all the world stopped because of coronavirus. Only one thing was going on, and that was UFC. For me, it was, like, I stepped into the league of the best. ‘I'm here, and I'm going for the title. And let me show my best'."