Walking up to the octagon at UFC 275, Jiri Prochazka spotted Jan Blachowicz and got a warm vibe from the former light heavyweight champ.
He won the title and everything was different.
“It felt a bit more friendly than aggressive when I told him, “Yes, okay, let’s move on, you’re the next,” Blachowicz stated after Saturday’s thrilling victory. “He started to be aggressive because he saw the cameras. He tried to flex a little bit.”
Prochazka had little energy for a post-fight confrontation. Blachowicz was a good friend and he enjoyed some fun.
“I told him that I loved you because he was aggressive,” the new champ replied. He smiled at me first, which was great. After the fight, his aggressiveness was evident. He said, “I want to fight,” so I replied, “I love Jan. Let us talk in the box
The 29-year-old Czech made quite the statement against Glover Teixeira, surviving several near-finishes to cinch a rear-naked choke in the final minute of the five-round title fight.
An instant classic, the fight is likely to capture “Fight of the Year” honors. Prochazka was disappointed with his performance, and promised to return as a stronger, more technically skilled fighter.
Blachowicz, who eight months ago ceded the belt to Teixeira, hopes to exploit all the vulnerabilities he saw in the octagon this past Saturday. Prochazka will wait for the unfortunate end to an interplay of European colleagues.
“He is so courageous,” Prochazka giggled. He told me about his fight so I shared that energy with him. We will see. We will see.
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