Black magic or just aura? Joe Rogan presses Jiri Prochazka to explain his bizarre allegations of 'voodoo and shamans' against Alex Pereira

Jiri Prochazka reignited discussions about Alex Pereira’s pre-fight rituals during a recent podcast episode with Joe Rogan. Prochazka, who suffered two losses to Pereira, including a second-round TKO setback in June 2024, claims the Brazilian champion’s success is partially attributed to spiritual practices involving rituals and shamans.

Prochazka had challenged Pereira to compete without these influences ahead of UFC 303, insisting on a "pure performance" to determine the better fighter. The Czech fighter’s accusations stem from his belief that Pereira’s aura and rituals impact opponents psychologically. He admitted his fixation on Pereira’s presence and perceived mystical influence detracted from his performance.

Rogan pressed Prochazka to get to the source of his allegations against Pereira during episode #165 of The Joe Rogan Experience. Prochazka replied:

"I don't want to speak about that fully because it is something that I am humble for. I can't say this is it because everyone has their own way and nobody is, even me, prepared to say something for somebody [to take it seriously]. I get lost in that [question]. So the thing is, I will not speak about where is the magic, how to use the magic. That [black magic] was the biggest power for my opponent [Pereira] because I was focused for him."

During the conversation, Prochazka seemingly aligned with Rogan's theory that fighters in their prime exude an aura that can be perceived as "black magic." The former UFC light heavyweight champion simply nodded in acceptance and shed light on the lessons he learnt from the two fights against Pereira. He claimed that it's important to overcome these distractions and focus solely on preparation with "pure self-confidence."

Check out the full discussion below (1:57:00):

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Alex Pereira weighs in on a potential trilogy fight against Jiri Prochazka

Alex Pereira recently claimed that he's open to the idea of a trilogy fight with Jiri Prochazka following the 32-year-old's stunning TKO victory against Jamahal Hill at UFC 311.

Prochazka, who lost twice to Pereira via knockout, has been vocal about wanting another chance to reclaim the light heavyweight title. Despite their history, Pereira believes Prochazka deserves another opportunity, though his immediate focus remains on defending his title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313.

Speaking about a potential clash against Prochazka in an interview with ESPN, Pereira said:

"I’m ready to fight anybody. It doesn’t matter who it is. Right now, it’s Ankalaev’s time. I’m going to fight Ankalaev. But after this fight, if everything’s good, we’re going to give Jiri an opportunity as well. He said he wants it, he’s going to have it.”

Check out Alex Pereira's comments below: