Jiri Prochazka has never followed the traditional path—and he’s not about to start now.
As Jiri Prochazka prepares for another shot at UFC gold, the former light heavyweight champion continues to lean into the same unconventional training methods that built his reputation. From isolation in the mountains to swimming beneath frozen lakes, Prochazka pushes himself far beyond the limits most fighters are willing to explore.
“Fear. I hate fear,” Prochazka said. “No, I don’t hate fear. I want to be so deep in contact with the fear to see through him, because he is just shaking the mind. He’s just shaking your emotion and asking you, ‘Are you sure in this? Are you stable [inside]?’ And I hate these type of questions, inside myself, to myself.”
Jiri Prochazka doesn’t just train to win fights—he trains to control his mind under the worst possible conditions. That mindset explains why he willingly puts himself through extreme challenges that most would consider dangerous or unnecessary.
“I like the challenges,” he said. “It’s terrifying, but it’s about calming the mind in every aspect of your life. These challenges give me the opportunity to control myself as much as I can.”
For Prochazka, these moments are about discovery—stepping into the unknown and coming out stronger.
“Maybe it’s crazy for someone who doesn’t understand it,” he added. “But every high-level athlete has to go beyond normal. That’s what I try to do.”
Still, the Czech fighter admits that not every experiment has been smart. Earlier in his career, Jiri Prochazka would disappear into the wilderness with no plan, no map, and no safety net—just to test himself.
“I just took my bag and went to the mountains without a map,” Prochazka said. “I got lost and tried to survive for a few days. It was not funny. It was just survival. This is not smart. You have to know the rules.”
That balance between chaos and control now defines his approach as he prepares for the biggest moment of his career.
Jiri Prochazka faces Carlos Ulberg at UFC 327 on April 11, with the vacant light heavyweight title on the line. The belt became available after Alex Pereira moved up in weight, leaving the division wide open.
A win would make Jiri Prochazka a two-time UFC champion—placing him alongside legends like Jon Jones, Chuck Liddell, and Randy Couture.
“So that’s why I’m doing all these things,” he said. “Trying to be closer and closer, day by day, to a calm mind. To see totally through.”
In a sport built on violence and chaos, Jiri Prochazka is chasing something different—clarity. And if his past is any indication, that mindset might be his most dangerous weapon yet.
