Jiri Prochazka ready to accept Alex Pereira title fight as early as June

Are Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira set to face each other again this summer? It’s certainly starting to look like that after both men put up impressive performances at UFC 300.

Pereira quickly took out Jamahal Hill, eliminating “Sweet Dreams” just three minutes into the first round. Prochazka’s victory over Aleksandar Rakic ​​was longer and sloppier, but still earned him a knockout victory…and a $300,000 performance bonus to boot.

Given that the two just fought for the vacant title in November 2023, few expected the UFC to match Pereira and Prochazka again. But in a recent interview, “Poatan” suggested that “BJP” could get Dustin Poirier a spot as No. 1 candidate simply because he was willing to fight.

“I think if I wait for this (Magomed Ankalaev) fight, it would take too long,” Pereira said. “I want to fight sooner than that. I think as far as we know, next on the list is probably Jiri Prochazka.

Speaking to James Lynch, Prochazka said he hasn’t heard from the UFC regarding a title fight, but is ready to return to action as soon as June to lock things down.

“I didn’t hear anything,” he said. “I just said what I said in the cage after the fight: I want to be the next title challenger, and that’s my opinion. Right now it’s up to the UFC to decide when they want to make this fight because I believe in my victory and I will show that I am capable of taking this belt and winning in a fight with Alex Pereira.

“I’m waiting to sort out this upcoming fight and I still don’t know who, if it’s going to be Alex or who, but I think the world wants to see that. The world wants to see that fight and I know I have the right weapons to defeat Alex Pereira.

Prochazka certainly won over a lot of new fans at UFC 300, and it’s hard to imagine a more profitable opponent for Pereira right now (barring a sudden change in Jon Jones’ plans). If the UFC wants to strike while the iron is hot, now is the time. And Jiri is ready.

“The ideal time for me right now is to take two, three weeks, just a little rest,” he said. “Get inspired. And right now I know what to do in preparation for (the) next (fight), especially for a fight with Alex. But it’s still up to my manager to confirm it. I’m thinking of August. July, August or something like that. October maybe. It does not matter. For me it doesn’t matter.

“If they want me to fight briefly, I will. I’ll go. If (UFC 303 in June) was accepted by Alex, I will do it. I’ll go.