Meet UFC 300’s Jiri Prochazka, the former football hooligan who became MMA champ after discovering way of the samurai
JIRI PROCHAZKA went from trading blows with boozed-up footie hooligans to brawling with some of the best fighters on the planet.
The former UFC light-heavyweight champion used to take part in SIXTY-MAN brawls against rival hooligans when he ran around with FC Zbrojovak Brno ultras.
It didn’t come as a surprise to those close to Prochazka that he embraced the hooligan lifestyle as he was somewhat of a tearaway child growing up.
But unlike many hooligans of yesteryear, he realised there was much more to life and sought an avenue to channel his misplaced anger.
Prochazka, 31, would eventually put his energy back into martial arts, which he was introduced to as a teenager.
The rest, as they say, is history – although Prochazka is often willing to reflect on the transformative effect martial arts had on his life.
The Czech clubber told SunSport: “I’m another person [from who I used to be].
“I’m very happy for this journey. Life is about learning and forgetting everything and practising to do it better, better, better.
“It’s a way of mastery.
“But it’s not just a way of mastery in the way of martial arts, but in every part of life. That’s why I like it.”
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Delving back into martial arts would eventually see Prochazka discover legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi – the author of ‘The Book of Five Rings’.
Ever since, he’s drawn strength from the teachings of Musashi and the samurai code and relied heavily on it during his recovery from one of the “worst” shoulder injuries in UFC history.
He told SunSport last November: “I took that [the shoulder injury] positively because everything in your life you have to take positively.
“I took that [the injury] like I have another chance to prove that I am the true champion… that I’m the master of the cage and of martial arts.
“And this is what I want to show the world this Saturday.
“I’m happy to be back in the process, in the fight business, back in training to study martial arts. And to get better.
“It’s simply a few words and few rules which help you to simply be honest to yourself and to others… to your performance in every situation of life.
“So yeah, it was very helpful.”
Prochazka will channel his inner-warrior spirit this weekend at UFC 300, where he’ll bid to get himself back in title contention.
The fan-favourite will look to bounce back from his knockout defeat to champion Alex Pereira last November in the featured prelim of the night.
Standing in front of Prochazka and a return to the win column is the dangerous Alexander Rakic, who he plans to finish in emphatic fashion.