Alex Pereira has weighed in on Jiri Prochazka’s defeat at UFC 327.
Prochazka looked sharp early, landing several heavy leg kicks, and midway through the round, Ulberg suffered a brutal knee injury.
Despite the injury, Ulberg stayed in it and landed a huge left hook at the end of the first round. It knocked Prochazka out cold and made him the new champion.
Pereira suggests Prochazka’s approach backfired
Initially, there were concerns that Ulberg’s injury might sideline him until 2027, but his coach, Eugene Bareman, has since suggested the situation may not be as difficult as first feared.
Pereira, weighing in for the first time since the bout, noted that injuries are just part of the job when fighters step into the Octagon.
“The fight between Jiri and Carlos Ulberg was one people were really looking forward to. That’s where I made a bit of a statement in the division,” Pereira told UFC Brazil.
“What happened there, everyone saw, Ulberg got injured. We don’t know if it was from the kicks during the fight or if he was already carrying something, but it doesn’t really matter.
“That’s the risk of being in there, inside the Octagon. He knew that. The responsibility is on the fighter; it’s part of the game.”
Pereira also touched on Prochazka’s mindset going into their rematch in Miami. The Czech fighter had previously accused Pereira of using “dark magic” to win their first encounter – comments that added fuel to an already tense build-up.
Reflecting on Jiri Prochazka during his fight with Carlos Ulberg at UFC 327, Alex Pereira felt Prochazka looked different than usual and said his Samurai-like persona may have worked against him in Miami.
“During the fight I was watching, and I thought, man, Jiri looks really different. That whole thing he did, calling him on, that Samurai, warrior vibe, I think that got in his way a bit.
“Speaking for myself, if it were me in there, it’s a fight, you know? Both guys trained. One is trying to hurt the other. And unfortunately, Jiri made a few decisions in there that came at a very high cost. I think he learned a lot from it,” Pereira continued.
Prochazka took an interim title shot when Jamahal Hill pulled out of their scheduled title fight due to injury at UFC 300. Although he lost both fights against Pereira and lost again against Aleksandar Rakic last September, before dropping another bout to Justin Ledet two months later at his Heavyweight debut for the UAE Warriors Dubai 52 event, this marked four straight defeats after holding two major titles inside just over three years ago.
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