We’ve all seen the viral video of Jiri Prochazka practicing his striking skills while on a treadmill. The room looked pretty cramped, with a low ceiling. We have also seen him running wild in the woods, and practicing a minimalistic lifestyle. This has the entire fighting community wondering about how much the Czech star is currently worth. 

Does Dana White pay him so little that he’s unable to afford a decent living in a well-to-do town like Brno, Czechoslovakia? Well, not quite, because ‘Denisa’ is a former champion and a top-5 light heavyweight so he must have a decent-sized net worth. Let’s take a deep dive into Prochazka’s finances and see how much he’s worth. 

Jiri Prochazka’s net worth

According to mmasalaries.com, the former light heavyweight champion has an estimated earnings of between $500,000 and $1 million. ClutchPoints reports that his net worth is around $1 million. However, the Czech fighter has reportedly made $2 million from fighting alone. ‘Denisa’ joined the UFC in 2020, fighting Volkan Oezdemir in his debut, and defeating him with an overhand right in the second round. In his promotional debut, he managed to win the Performance of the Night bonus. He is a pretty entertaining fighter with a nice balance of technique and chaos. He is undoubtedly one of the bigger stars in the current roster of UFC fighters.

So, why does he live in a cottage in the middle of the forest? Back in 2021, the Czech fighter appeared in an interview with RT Sport MMA and revealed the reasons behind his solitary life. He said, “I am living in a forest and next to the lake in Bruno. And I like to live more alone, but I want to share my ideology and my ideas and my style of fighting. So I need to be a little bit famous… Now for my career, that’s important to be like that – to be alone and just practice and practice, because I can stay pure clean, and without no distraction, no relationship.”

So, ‘Denisa’ isolates himself so he can fight better? Three years ago, Prochazka spent three days in a dark room without food or water. He claimed that the practice strengthened his mind and body as a fighter.

Now, if he truly leads a life of solitude, where does he spend his money? Well, ‘The Czech Samurai’ invests in his brand BJP, which stands for ‘Bombay Jak Pica!’ in Czech. In English, it translates to ‘Bomb-‘Em Up’. But his earnings from the brand are unknown. He also donates a significant amount of his wealth to charity. 

Talking to the UFC back in 2022, Prochazka revealed the motivation behind the BJP Foundation. He said, “My team, my colleagues, they help me with that because my role is that I’m a fighter and I’m here to give my name for these causes. That’s how I want to use myself.” The foundation raises money to help improve the lives of children and families facing different kinds of illnesses. It also focuses on improving the facilities provided by hospitals in the Czech Republic.

Prochazka leads a life that many, especially athletes, would find appreciable. Still, fight fans have often wondered about his UFC salary. Let’s take a look at how much he earned in his fights with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Jiri Prochazka’s earnings from UFC, sponsors, and payout

Prochazka’s total recorded fight earnings amount to $570K, as per MMA Salaries. Both times where he fought Alex Pereira and lost, he received a base salary of $750K. Plus, the endorsement money for UFC 33 was $32,000, making his total payout around $782K. However, at UFC 295, even though he received the same amount as his base salary and brand sponsorships, his total payout was around $1.382 million. And, no doubt, it was the PPV payouts that worked their magic in his favor, despite losing terribly. 

At UFC 300, Prochazka had a base salary of $200K and a win bonus of $200K. He took home another $300K as a Performance of the Night bonus and just $4,500 from brand endorsements. In terms of endorsements, it seems like he is endorsed by fewer brands compared to other fighters. But he doesn’t have to worry since he has his own brand to endorse, along with the fight apparel brand Venum, which is a primary partner of the UFC.

Come UFC 311, ‘Denisa’ can expect to earn a bit more competing against Jamahall Hill, given the nature and scale of the card. Coming off a brutal loss to the divisional champion, ‘The Czech Samurai’ will do everything in his power to claim a win on 18th January. Needless to say, it’d be one hell of a match. 

Do you think the Czech Samurai can break his earnings record at UFC 311? Drop down to the comments and let us know what you think!