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Jiri Prochazka returns at UFC 295 after shoulder injury
Juli Prochazkare returns to the Octagon to compete for the UFC light heavyweight championship almost a year after sustaining the worst shoulder injury the organization has ever seen. At UFC 275, Prochazka defeated former champion Glover Teixeira via rear-naked choke, earning a candidacy for Fight of the Year in June. The two were slated for an instant rematch at UFC 282 in December, but Denisa was forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury sustained during training. He chose to step down, with one exception, rather than delay the divide. In exchange, he gets to challenge the winner of the title bout.
Prochazka is not up against Jamahal Hill, the most recent championship holder until he also quit due to injury, despite the promotion having followed through on that. Instead, this Saturday’s main event of UFC 295 features a bout between the 31-year-old and Alex Pereira.
Daniel Cormier sees ring rust playing a factor in Prochazka s performance
Naturally, there are some doubts about Jiri Prochazka‘s performance in his battle against Alex Pereira—especially following such an extended absence.
Having gone through several injuries during his own athletic career, former two-division UFC champion and current UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier has some insight into this kind of thing.
In a DC & RC podcast, Cormier stated, “He hasn’t been here long, so to have been UFC champion in such a short period of time tells you how special of a talent he is.” But because he was winning so frequently, he was in the Octagon a lot. I think his consistency was a major factor in his success in winning the UFC championship belt. I believe he will suffer from this layoff.
However, Cormier went on, “Jiri must feel like he’s playing with the house’s money because he’s only expected to be gone for another four months.” A year and a half ago, he was injured. I’ll see you in fifteen months. They estimated that it would take him 18 months to become functional. It was going to take a while to heal.
He’s back in the hunt for the title today, but I think the ring rust will come into play, especially early on. Alex Pereira has had a busy schedule.
Prochazka doesn t have the same concerns as Cormier
Jiri Prochazka, for his part, isn’t concerned about rust of any kind, including ring rust and cage rust.
During his UFC 295 media day on Wednesday, Prochazka stated, “For me this week, laser focus” (video courtesy of TheMacLife). For me, it’s all about focusing intensely on the performance on the night of the event. It’s not only about me; it’s also just about my rival. Which performance, and how excellent my opponent’s performance is, will be mine. I try to be present in every situation and every time I adjust, I outperform my competitors. Because my opponent’s performance motivates me, I prefer having good opponents.
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The original editor of BloodyElbow.com is Nate Wilcox. He has so employed every writer and editor to work on the website. Strong opinions, the progression of fighting tactics, and a concentration on MMA history are hallmarks of Wilcox’s work for BE. From 2009 to 2011, USA Today published the SBN MMA consensus rankings, which Wilcox created. Prior to starting BE, Wilcox was an early political blogger and political operator for people like Senators John Kerry and Mark Warner. In Netroots Rising: A History of the Political Blogosphere from 2003 to 2007, he is a co-author. Wilcox is also the host of the Pantheon show Network’s Let It Roll show, which focuses on music history.
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