There are talks that Jiri Prochazka is the backup fighter for the UFC 266 light heavyweight championship fight.
In particular, Jiri Prochazka mentioned that he could possibly be a backup fighter later this year. The first to report the news was James Lynch with Fanaticsview. However, it will be Jan Blachwicz and Glover Teixeira fighting for the title at UFC 266 as it stands.
Jiri Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) says he's currently in talks with the UFC about being the backup fighter for Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira at #UFC266
Full interview via @fanaticsview https://t.co/NOAgs3xljr pic.twitter.com/klXIRYcIsk
— James Lynch (@LynchOnSports) May 17, 2021
“In negotiations with the UFC about (being the backup), if somebody from the fight will be out. We communicate with UFC about this. We will see. I want to take that and I want to be that guy who will wait for that chance,” Prochazka said in the interview.
The surging light heavyweight contender has looked amazing in the cage. In fact, the light heavyweight striker put top-ranked Dominick Reyes out in round 2. In detail, Prochazka suffocated the former title challenger with wild strikes until a spinning elbow knocked Reyes out cold. While it is unclear what step is next in his career (other than being a backup fighter at UFC 266), he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting fighters to follow today.
In addition to his win against Reyes, the rising upstart had a successful debut against Volkan Oezdemir. Following his overhand right that sat “No Time” down, it was clear that Prochazka is a dynamic and potent striker when given enough space to work with.
Jiri Prochazka Will Look To Be The Backup Fighter to Blachwicz/Texeira
Teixeira gets the next crack at the title after defying Father Time and putting together an impressive five-fight win streak. But there is little doubt that fans and the MMA world have a close eye on Prochazka, and perhaps we could see him in the title picture sometime in 2021. After all, the two wins he collected in the UFC are big ones, and if the light-heavyweight fights again and wins, his efforts would be hard to deny.
Do you believe we will see Jiri Prochazka fighting for the UFC light heavyweight title this year?
