Jiri Prochazka is a man-possessed! Fresh off his UFC 311 victory against Jamahal Hill, the Czech warrior has once again proven why he belongs at the top of the light heavyweight division. However, despite his many triumphs inside the Octagon, there’s one obstacle he has yet to overcome—the only man to ever defeat him in the UFC: Alex Pereira. Prochazka has fought seven times in the promotion, and both of his losses have come at the hands of ‘Poatan’—first at UFC 295 and again at UFC 303. That fact alone fuels his desire for redemption. Even before facing Hill, Jiri had his sights set on a trilogy fight with the reigning champion. He even lobbied for it, saying, “I’ve been saying to everyone, believe me, or not, but I believe I can beat Alex.”

But before Prochazka gets his shot, Pereira has business to handle. The Brazilian is set to defend his title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313—a dangerous challenge given the Dagestani’s grappling skills. If the Brazilian manages to defend his belt, he has hinted at a possible move to heavyweight, potentially putting a trilogy fight with Prochazka on hold. Still, Jiri remains determined. Speaking with Mulligan Brothers, he made it clear that his main goal is to reclaim the 205lbs title—no matter who he has to face!

“For me right now, there is a two-fight—one fight, no, two fighters. One fight, Ankalaev vs. Pereira, and one I want to see them in my next fight. For me right now, I don’t care who it will be, but I want to go back to the top. Back to the title. To be a champion, whoever. I spoke about Alex Pereira, I still want Alex Pereira, but right now I don’t want to push it like last time or whatever. I just want to say that I want to go for the title. Right now, I believe I am ready.”

As mentioned above, the mission for Prochazka remains clear—he wants to reclaim the light-heavyweight throne. While a trilogy fight with Pereira is at the top of his wish list, his ultimate focus is on championship gold, no matter who stands in his way. However, the former champ recently expressed the desire to take a second route after exercising his demons at 205lbs.

Jiri Prochazka weighs in on his plans after 205lbs title glory

Jiri Prochazka has made his future ambitions clear—not only does he want a trilogy fight against Alex Pereira, but he’s also contemplating a drop to 185 lbs. While speaking to Joe Rogan, the ‘Czech Samurai’ acknowledged the idea of moving to middleweight but emphasized that his primary focus remains on light heavyweight dominance. He stated: “Yes, I thought about that but the main thing for me is right now it’s either way in light heavyweight because I am just one of the strongest guys in this division. And I still feel like there is a way in light heavyweight.”

For Prochazka, the plan is clear—he wants to solidify himself as the undisputed king at 205 lbs before making any drastic career moves. He further explained: “And I said to myself like ‘Okay, you can go to the middleweight but first show the consistency in light heavyweight. Take a belt, then you can fight with a belt from light heavyweight; you can fight for the belt for middleweight, in middleweight.”

The former champion believes his metabolism and conditioning are well-suited for middleweight, and with a few dietary adjustments, he could make the cut with ease. Moreover, his recent weight on fight night for UFC 311 was just 208lbs. This is shocking considering that the reigning 185lbs champ Dricus Du Plessis walks around at 215lbs when outside of camp. This means that Prochazka can easily make the 185lbs cut and use his relentless striking to great use.

However, before any potential drop to middleweight, his biggest priority remains defeating Alex Pereira—the only fighter in the UFC who has bested him. Will Prochazka get his shot at redemption, or will Pereira move on to new challenges before that happens? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!