UFC light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka couldn’t be happier to return at UFC 282.
‘Denisa’ has been out of action since his headlining role with Glover Teixeira in June. In the main event of UFC 275 in Singapore, the two light heavyweights put on an incredible show. However, in the fifth round of the back-and-forth contest, Prochazka scored a shocking submission win.
After months of speculation of who the newly crowned champion could face next, the promotion made it official earlier this week. Prochazka and Teixeira are currently set to face off at UFC 282 in December. It’s not currently known if the two will headline the event, but the undercard is already being filled out.
One of the undercard matchups that have been added to the event is the return of Alexander Gustafsson. The Swede has lost four in a row, the last being knocked out by Nikita Krylov in July. He’s currently set to face Ovince Saint Preux in December.
The booking of that fight couldn’t make Jiri Prochazka any happier. In an interview with The AllStar, the light-heavyweight champion praised Alexander Gustafsson. Prochazka happily dubbed UFC 282 a “light-heavyweight night”.
Also in the interview, the champion cast light on his relationship with the Swede. Prochazka praised Gustafsson for staying active in the sport, in light of his recent defeats.
“It’s a Light Heavyweight night!” Prochazka stated in the interview. “I trained with Alex many times in Sweden and he’s a great man, big man, father of a family, amazing sparring partner. He’s not so crazy, he’s really calm, and he knows how to work with his power in the camps. So, I have so much respect for him and I’m a fan of him.” (h/t MMA Mania)
He continued, “I just wish him the best and after that I saw that match up with Ovince Saint Preux [was announced] and I said to myself, ‘Man, he’s going to the cage one more time, again and again, after this loss with [Nikita] Krylov,’. For me, as a person, it’s such a big inspiration. Because that shows he still believes. He knows he has it, so I think he’s still a very dangerous man. I have to like him.”
What do you think about Jiri Prochazka’s comments? Are you excited about UFC 282? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!