Jiří Procházka, the best Czech MMA fighter, will soon return to the Octagon of the UFC organization. His opponent in the fight for the light heavyweight championship belt will be former middleweight champion Alex Pereira of Brazil. The prestigious event will take place on November 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“It will be a fascinating fight between wrestlers who work in completely different ways, as Procházka is unpredictable and acts on instinct and feel, while Pereira is more structured and principled. “Each of them constantly carries a fearsome force and possesses weapons with which to defeat the other,” the UFC invites to the fight on its website.
At UFC 275, Procházka became the champion when he forced Glover Teixeira to tap out with a choke just 28 seconds before the end of the match. He later had to relinquish the title just before the rematch – vacating it after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery.
The 31-year-old Czech is now completely healthy and is returning to the fight. According to the original plans, Procházka was supposed to face Jamahal Hill in the fight for the title, but he also got injured – so Procházka will end up playing against the aforementioned Pereira.
He will surely be looking to build on his 3-0 record in the Octagon and 13-fight winning streak in his long-awaited return to action, the timing of which has been hotly speculated.
Procházka shared his joy and determination on social networks, where he regularly contributed photos from the preparations for the all-important return during the last weeks. In the posts emphasizedthat it’s not just about the belt, but also about performance.
For Pereira, the November appearance at Madison Square Garden is almost an annual affair. Two years ago at UFC 268, he won his debut fight there over Andreas Michailidis, and last year he followed that up by winning the middleweight title from Israel Adesanya.
Now he’s up against a much more experienced Walk, but he’s used to that. “What makes him dangerous is all the experience he has. He is an experienced fighter. He’s dangerous, but that helps me keep track and not overlook him. I’m actually getting ready to go out there and do it. He is an experienced and seasoned guy. That plays into it,” Pereira said.
