What Is Jiri Prochazka’s Fighting Style? Is He a Karate Fighter?

A sizable number of fans have come to love former UFC light heavyweight champ, Jiri Prochazka, as a modern-day samurai. In ancient times, becoming a samurai required a set of moral principles that included honor, discipline, and loyalty. Most fans would agree that the Czech Republic native has exhibited all of these characteristics throughout his professional MMA career. A look at his record might compel fans to think that he has been training in martial arts for a prolonged period.

Well, they aren’t pretty wrong in thinking so. Prochazka’s unique training methods have garnered a lot of attention in the UFC community. But it all started back when he was in high school. ‘BJP’ took up Muay Thai as the primary genre of his martial arts. Well, reports also say that he is also trained in a few other martial arts, like karate and taekwondo. However, most fans may agree that his core training in Muay Thai combined with unique improvisations developed his incredible fighting style.

What style does Jiri Prochazka fight?

Several UFC fighters chose Muay Thai as their primary genre of martial arts. Apart from Jiri Prochazka, the noted former flyweight queen, Valentina Shevchenko, the former featherweight champ, Max Holloway, and the famed lightweight Rafael Fiziev are all examples of such fighters. However, if we compare the fighting styles of these mentioned ones, we’ll find that they have a large similarity.

All of these fighters are dangerous strikers. Muay Thai is also called ‘the art of eight limbs’ since it develops incredible prowess in striking among its practitioners, such that it seems like the fighter is using eight limbs for his striking instead of four. A lot of fans may agree that Prochazka is no different. His striking, heavy fighting style also displays characteristics of his Muay Thai and karate training pretty clearly.

On top of all this, he has superb head movement, and agile footwork, and also packs a formidable range of 80″ (203 cm). His footwork and striking skills provide him with the ability to land strikes on his rival from unimaginable positions. But if we talk about the grappling part of his game, the Czech native has himself admitted that he isn’t a pretty good grappler.

UFC audiences might have witnessed him going to the ground a few times. But most of them were for ground and pound instead of trying to submit their opponents with his grappling maneuvers. But which of these departments does he need to focus on so that he can make his octagon return this weekend with a victory?

Prochazka’s second chance against Alex Pereira

The last time Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka shared the Octagon, the latter failed to make a triumphant return after a year on the shelves. ‘Poatan’ registered a knockout but some people felt as if it was a controversial one because the referee stopped the fight too early. However, Prochazka did not use that as an excuse and competed in his next fight against Aleksandr Rakic, and recorded his 26th career KO win.

Now, in the midst of Conor McGregor pulling out of UFC 303, Jiri Prochazka joined Alex Pereira in stepping up to fill in the main event spot on June 29 for a title fight. Although it’s a short-notice fight, it could mean the end for ‘The Czech Samurai’ if he fails to secure the title, given that he’s had one chance already, and this could very well be his last chance to fight for the title while Pereira is still champion.

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Most fans may agree that ‘Poatan’ can land strikes that are more damaging than Prochazka’s, which he showcased at UFC 295. In such a situation, the Czech native may opt to take the fight to the ground this time around, but he rarely does that, although he can get the better of Pereira on the feet too. But due to Pereira’s weakness on the ground, the Czech native may cause trouble for him if he manages to take the fight that way. Who do you think will have the last laugh out of these two?

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