Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka walked back his recent ‘mercy’ comments after his devastating loss at UFC 327.
Jiri Prochazka’s quest to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight throne fell short in shocking fashion earlier this month at UFC 327. After a strong start against Carlos Ulberg, including a series of leg kicks that caused an Ulberg injury, Ulberg was able to rally in the first round to earn a come-from-behind knockout win.
It was a shocking end to the UFC 327 main event as Ulberg kicked off a new era in the light heavyweight division. Following the devastating loss, Prochazka claimed he showed ‘mercy’ to Ulberg after noticing his injury, leading to the knockout punch that led to his demise.
Prochazka’s comments left one legendary coach to question his mental health, and many other pundits and fellow fighters to criticize his post-fight remarks. After welcoming a firstborn daughter, Prochazka hinted he would respond to criticism in due time, and that time was earlier this week.
Jiri Prochazka at ’40, 50 percent’ at the time of Carlos Ulberg’s KO
In a recent Instagram post, Prochazka addressed his critics after UFC 327.
“Let’s get this down in black and white so no one comes up with any bull**** here,” Prochazka said.
“I lost my focus there. Focus on the goal. Focus on the target and that was especially the case when Ulberg injured his leg….but I can say for myself that I know from the moment that happened to him, I wasn’t at 100% anymore. I was at maybe 40, 50% of my performance, and I was just sparring and waiting for the referee to stop the fight at any moment…
“As for responding to all these so-called experts, [Paulo] Costa, [Magomed] Ankalaev and all the other ‘experts’,” Prochazka continued. “On top of that, I don’t even know if Ankalaev is still being written by his manager or if it’s actually him.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
Prochazka could earn another title shot with a win over a top contender such as former titleholder Magomed Ankalaev or Paulo Costa. Costa defeated the previously unbeaten Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327 after making the full-time move from middleweight to light heavyweight.
Does Jiri Prochazka deserve an immediate rematch with Carlos Ulberg? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!