Former UFC Champion Hints At Moving Up A Division: UFC 303 Embedded Episode 1

Episode 1 of UFC Embedded saw multiple UFC 303 fighters such as Michael Venom Page and Anthony Smith appear, but the face of the episode looked to be Jiri Prochazka.

The episode started with Jiri at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the event is taking place at the T-Mobile Arena. While walking out of the airport, Prochazka said “Alex is the only one person who I want to compete in my weight right now.”

This embedded clip could lead fans to believe that Jiri might be thinking of moving divisions, as after his fight with Pereira it seems that he’s not interested in fighting anyone else at light heavyweight. This could mean that Jiri is looking to move up to the heavyweight division, something that will be very interesting to see.

UFC 303: Pereira vs Prochazka II – UFC Light Heavyweight Championship

Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka are set to face off in the main event of UFC 303 for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. These two have fought before at UFC 295, in a bout that saw Pereira win by second-round TKO, however, many fans argued that it was an early stoppage.

After moving up from Middleweight, Alex Pereira entered the light heavyweight division and started dominating. He has already defeated 3 former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions; Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, and Jamahal Hill. He is also being looked at as the Face of the UFC right now, because of not only his skill but his willingness to step into the octagon.

Jiri Prochazka won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 275 but had to vacate it due to injury. When he came back, he got an immediate championship shot against Alex Pereira. After losing to Pereira, he went on to compete and win a #1 contender fight at UFC 300, granting him another title shot just months after their last bout.

How Well Could Jiri Prochazka Perform At Heavyweight?

Win or lose, it would make sense for Jiri Prochazka to move up to Heavyweight given his size and his skill. If he were to move up, he’d be the most skilled fighter in that division aside from Tom Aspinall and possibly Jon Jones. His ability surpasses that of Curtis Blaydes, Alexander Volkov, and Sergei Pavlovich, 3 fighters who are currently in the top 5 in that division.

Prochazka’s skillset includes great striking as well as top-tier wrestling, making him an all-around fighter. Despite only having 5 fights in the UFC, Jiri has shown that he is capable of going toe-to-toe with the best the company has to offer in the biggest divisions, which is what made him a world champion.

He is most definitely capable of moving up to heavyweight and becoming a top contender, and maybe even a champion. A fight between him and Tom Aspinall would probably be the most skilled heavyweight in the history of the UFC, and it would certainly bring in a large audience.