Jiří Procházka

JiÃÂÃÂ ProchÃÂ¡zka (; ; born October 14, 1992) is a Czech professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and the first Czech fighter to win a UFC championship. He was the inaugural Rizin Fighting Federation Light Heavyweight Champion and the inaugural Gladiator Fighting Championship Light Heavyweight Champion. As of February 3, 2026, he is #2 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

Early life

ProchÃÂ¡zka was born on October 14, 1992, in a hospital in Znojmo in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), but he comes from the nearby village of HostÃÂradice. ProchÃÂ¡zka's father died at age 27 when JiÃÂÃÂ was six years old. In his youth, ProchÃÂ¡zka played amateur football for TJ DruÃÂ¾stevnÃÂk HostÃÂradice. He was also an active freestyle BMX rider and a floorball player.

As a teen, ProchÃÂ¡zka partook in street fights almost weekly, getting into more than 100 of them. This eventually led him to join the hooligan club tied to ProchÃÂ¡zka's local football team, FC Zbrojovka Brno, where he would take part in organized group street fights with clubs of other teams, even participating in 30-on-30 brawls.

ProchÃÂ¡zka first encountered mixed martial arts before beginning high school, after a friend showed him videos of kickboxer Ramon Dekkers and mixed martial artists Mirko Filipovic and Fedor Emelianenko. After watching the film Never Back Down, he began to train in martial arts, in particular Thai boxing.

Mixed martial arts career

Gladiator Fighting Championship

Debut and initial fights

ProchÃÂ¡zka made his professional MMA debut in April 2012 for the Gladiator Fighting Championship, the biggest promotion in his native Czech Republic at the time. He amassed a 7Ã¢ÂÂ2 record within his first two years of fighting professionally.

Inaugural Light Heavyweight Champion

In his tenth professional bout, he won the inaugural GCF Light Heavyweight Championship in the back-and-forth fight against Czech MMA pioneer Martin ÃÂ olc via flying knee knockout on December 7, 2013, at GCF 26 FN. Video of the bout went viral in the Czech Republic and ProchÃÂ¡zka was also awarded a post-fight bonus. The fight was later awarded 'Czech Fight of the Year' by major media outlets.

ProchÃÂ¡zka defended his title against TomÃÂ¡ÃÂ¡ Penz on June 6, 2014, at GCF 28: Cage Fight 4. He won the fight via technical knockout due to a flying knee in 41 seconds.

ProchÃÂ¡zka signed a deal with the Rizin Fighting Federation shortly before his win against Evgeni Kondratov. After amassing a record of 14Ã¢ÂÂ2Ã¢ÂÂ1 during his first three years in the sport, ProchÃÂ¡zka as the first Czech entered the Rizin Fighting Federation in 2015.

Rizin Fighting Federation

Heavyweight Grand Prix

ProchÃÂ¡zka made his promotional debut against Satoshi Ishii on December 29, 2015, in the World Grand Prix 2015 Ã¢ÂÂ100 kg tournament at the Rizin FF's first event Saraba no Utake. He won the quarter-final fight via knockout in the first round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka's next fight in the Rizin FF's -100 kg tournament was at Iza no Mai on December 31, 2015. He won the semi-final fight against Vadim Nemkov via technical knockout. Later that same night, he lost in the final round against Muhammed Lawal via knockout in the first round. ProchÃÂ¡zka weighed in at 95.9 kgs (211.5 pounds) for the tournament.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Kazuyuki Fujita on April 17, 2016, at Rizin 1 at a catchweight of 110 kgs (242.5 pounds). ProchÃÂ¡zka weighed in at 98.6 kgs (217.3 pounds) for the bout. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Mark Tanios on September 25, 2016, at Rizin 2 - Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2016: Opening Round. He won the fight via unanimous decision. ProchÃÂ¡zka suffered a knee injury during the fight and was subsequently pulled from the tournament.

Return to Light Heavyweight

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Willian Roberto Alves on September 29, 2017, at Fusion FN 16 - Cage Fight, the homecoming event organized by his team. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Karl Albrektsson on December 29, 2017, at Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2017 - Bantamweight Tournament: 2nd Round. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Bruno Cappelozza on July 28, 2018, at Rizin 11. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Jake Heun on September 30, 2018, at Rizin 13. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka was scheduled to face Emanuel Newton on December 31, 2018, at Rizin 14. However, Newton was pulled out of the fight, citing a rib injury. ProchÃÂ¡zka remained on the card and was rescheduled to face Brandon Halsey. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Inaugural Light Heavyweight Champion

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Muhammed Lawal in rematch on April 21, 2019, at Rizin 15 for the inaugural Rizin FF Light Heavyweight Championship. He won the fight via technical knockout in the third round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced FÃÂ¡bio Maldonado on October 12, 2019, at Rizin 19: Lightweight Grand Prix 1st Round at a catchweight of 100 kgs (220.4 pounds). ProchÃÂ¡zka weighed in at 97.90 kgs (215.8 pounds) for the bout. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka defended his title against C. B. Dollaway on December 31, 2019, at Rizin 20. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This was the last fight on the ProchÃÂ¡zka's contract with Rizin. After the fight, he signed a new deal with the UFC and vacated his title.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Debut and contender fight

ProchÃÂ¡zka signed a contract with the UFC in January 2020. He made his promotional debut against former UFC Light Heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir on July 11, 2020, at UFC 251. He won via knockout in the second round and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus award. With this win, he's the only man to give Oezdemir a KO loss in his MMA career.

ProchÃÂ¡zka was expected to face twoÃ¢ÂÂtime UFC Light Heavyweight Championship title challenger Dominick Reyes on February 27, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 186. However, in late January, Reyes was pulled from the fight, due to injury, and the bout was rescheduled for May 1, 2021, at . In a back and forth fight, ProchÃÂ¡zka won the fight via knockout in the second round. With this win, he was awarded the Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus awards.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion

ProchÃÂ¡zka was scheduled to face Glover Teixeira for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on May 7, 2022, at UFC 274. However, the bout was postponed to June 11, 2022, at UFC 275 for undisclosed reasons. In a back-and-forth fight which saw both fighters get dropped multiple times, ProchÃÂ¡zka won the bout and title via rear-naked choke submission in the fifth round, becoming the first Czech fighter to win a UFC championship. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award and the Crypto.com "Fan Bonus of the Night" award paid in bitcoin of US$20,000 for second place.

ProchÃÂ¡zka was booked to rematch Teixeira at UFC 282 on December 10, 2022. However, it was announced on November 23, 2022, that ProchÃÂ¡zka was forced out of the fight due to an injury to his right shoulder, and that he had vacated the title.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced former UFC Middleweight champion Alex Pereira for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt on November 11, 2023, at UFC 295. He lost by knockout in the second round.

Post championship

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Aleksandar RakiÃÂ on April 13, 2024 at UFC 300. Despite taking numerous leg kicks, ProchÃÂ¡zka came back and won the bout by technical knockout in the second round. Due to the UFC increasing the payout of post fight bonuses from $50,000 to $300,000 for the event, this fight earned him a $300,000 Performance of the Night award.

On two weeks notice, replacing the bout between Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor, who was injured, ProchÃÂ¡zka faced Alex Pereira in a rematch for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on June 29, 2024, at UFC 303. After being knocked down in the last second of the first round with a left hook, he lost the bout via a head kick knockdown followed by punches early in the second round.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jamahal Hill on January 18, 2025 at UFC 311. He won the fight by technical knockout in the third round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.

ProchÃÂ¡zka faced former title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. on October 4, 2025 at UFC 320. He won the fight by knockout in the third round. This fight earned him both a Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night award totalling $100,000.

ProchÃÂ¡zka is scheduled to face Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight championship on April 11, 2026 at UFC 327.

Fighting style

ProchÃÂ¡zka is widely regarded for his unorthodox and unpredictable fighting style, blending traditional martial arts philosophy with an aggressive, high-risk approach. Fighting out of a wide stance with his hands often down, he relies heavily on head movement, timing, and reflexes rather than textbook defense.

Rather than focus on control or efficiency, ProchÃÂ¡zka embraces a philosophy of total engagement, frequently taking damage to create openings for counterattacks. He has stated in interviews that he prefers a mindset of "no-mind" in the cageÃ¢ÂÂdrawing from Zen and Bushido principles to fight instinctively rather than strategically. Defensively, ProchÃÂ¡zka has drawn criticism for leaving openings, but his durability, recovery, and offensive unpredictability have allowed him to survive and turn the tide in chaotic exchanges.

Personal life

ProchÃÂ¡zka is well-known as a devoted follower of the Bushido principles, the samurai moral values and Miyamoto Musashi's teachings and philosophy, especially Musashi's The Book of Five Rings, which ProchÃÂ¡zka considers a life-changing book for him.

He is a supporter of FC Zbrojovka Brno and was involved in organized football hooliganism, including pre-arranged fights, until he started his professional combat sports career.

Besides his native Czech, ProchÃÂ¡zka is conversational in English and has actively improved his proficiency in the language since joining the promotion. ProchÃÂ¡zka is also conversational in Japanese, having mostly fought in the country for the latter half of the 2010s.

While competing in UFC and Rizin FF, ProchÃÂ¡zka attended Masaryk University for his bachelor's degree, majoring in security forces physical fitness policy. He is also a graduate of his local Protective Service Secondary Academy (Czech: SOÃÂ OOM), now the Brno's School of Law & Security (Czech: BPA). He has also earned a Master's degree in Security and Strategic Studies from Masaryk UniversityÃ¢ÂÂs School of Special & Sports Education of Security Bodies while competing in the UFC.

ProchÃÂ¡zka is known for his catchphrase, "BJP" (B'e-y'e-p'e; ). It is the Czech initialism for "Bomby jak piÃÂa(!)" (English: Bomb The Shit Out of 'Em[!] or Bomb-'em-up[!]), it is ProchÃÂ¡zka's battle cry and also the name of his merchandise brand.

His nickname, , is a girl's name in the Czech language equivalent to the English , and . It originated during a training camp, where ProchÃÂ¡zka had responded to his trainer's call for another fighter, who was a girl called Denisa.

Since 2017, ProchÃÂ¡zka has lived in a cottage about 30 minutes outside of his hometown of Brno, near a reservoir. The cottage was previously thought to have electricity but no gas and or water connection. This was later debunked by ProchÃÂ¡zka himself in a YouTube video, stating that he has the aforementioned utilities.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
First Czech champion in UFC history
Fight of the Night (Three times)
Performance of the Night (Five times)
UFC Honors Awards
2020: Fan's Choice Debut of the Year Nominee
2021: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee & Fan's Choice Knockout of the Year Nominee
2022: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee & Fan's Choice Submission of the Year Nominee
2025: Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Winner & President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee
UFC.com Awards
2020: Ranked #5 Newcomer of the Year
2021: Half-Year Awards: Best Fight of the 1HY, Ranked #2 Knockout of the Year & Ranked #5 Fight of the Year
2022: Fight of the Year , Ranked #2 Submission of the Year & Ranked #9 Fighter of the Year
2025: Ranked #5 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #2 Fight of the Year

Rizin Fighting Federation
RIZIN Light Heavyweight Championship (Inaugural; former)
One successful title defense
2015 RIZIN World Grand Prix Runner Up
Gladiator Championship Fighting
GCF Light Heavyweight Championship (Inaugural)
One successful title defense
The Sporting News
2022 Fight of the Year
Cageside Press
2022 Fight of the Year
2025 Comeback of the Year
2025 Fight of the Year
Combat Press
2022 Fight of the Year
2025 Fight of the Year
ESPN
2021 Midyear MMA Awards: Best Finish of the 1HY
2022 Fight of the Year
Bleacher Report
2022 UFC Fight of the Year
Fight Club News Awards
2013 Czech Fight of the Year <small>vs. Martin ÃÂ olc on December 7</small>
MMA Junkie
2021 May Knockout of the Month
2022 June Fight of the Month
2022 Fight of the Year
MMA Fighting
2022 Fight of the Year
2025 Comeback of the Year
2025 First Team MMA All-Star
MMA Mania
2022 Fight of the Year
2025 Fight of the Year
Sherdog
2022 Fight of the Year
World MMA Awards
2022 Fight of the Year
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
2022 MMA Match of the Year
Yahoo! Sports
2022 Fight of the Year
CBS Sports
2021 UFC Knockout of the Year
2022 UFC Fight of the Year
LowKick MMA
2025 Fight of the Year

Muay Thai

2011 Czech National Championships champion (Ã¢ÂÂ86.18 kg)

Mixed martial arts record

Pay-per-view bouts

Filmography

Television

Web

References

External links

Jiří Procházka

Early life

Mixed martial arts career

Gladiator Fighting Championship

Debut and initial fights

Inaugural Light Heavyweight Champion

Rizin Fighting Federation

Heavyweight Grand Prix

Return to Light Heavyweight

Inaugural Light Heavyweight Champion

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Debut and contender fight

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion

Post championship

Fighting style

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Muay Thai

Mixed martial arts record

Pay-per-view bouts

See also

Filmography

Television

Web

References

External links