Jiří Procházka will look to reclaim the light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 303 tonight in Las Vegas.
In order to do so, he will need to avenge his loss to Alex Pereira after being stopped by the current champion last November at UFC 295.
Though he was able to bounce back with a win over Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 300, he did have to weather some adversity in that fight before finding the finish.
Both Pereira and Rakić were able to take advantage of the former champion’s stance by targeting his legs with kicks to take away some of his unpredictable movement and explosiveness.
He was able to overcome this last time out by completely disregarding them and continuing to be incredibly aggressive. But against “Poatan,” this is what led to the finish.
Jiří Procházka Has Placed Emphasis On Defending Leg Kicks Ahead Of Alex Pereira Rematch
In an interview with ESPN MMA during fight week, Procházka was asked what adjustments he will be looking to make in the rematch.
He directly referenced the approach to defending leg kicks, stating that he wasn’t too badly damaged at UFC 295 but is still cautious of them going into this weekend.
“It was not so bad but I really understand it’s not okay to absorb a lot of kicks, especially with an opponent like now, Alex. So that was one of the most important thing in this short preparation.”
The Czech star said that despite the leg kicks being a crucial aspect of the fight, he still believed he was in control of the bout.
With the adjustments that he plans to make in order to improve upon his performance, Procházka is confident of reclaiming the 205-pound throne.
“Sure, I changed a few things, I changed but like last time, I was not satisfied with my performance but I thought like, the first round and the half of the second round was in my hands, all in my hands, so I just need to keep it in that way, be more careful in the leg kicks, and bring the perfect storm in the cage.”
