"He's following McGregor's fight camp ritual" - Fans react to Jiri Prochazka apparently drinking beer 12 days out from Alex Pereira bout

Ahead of his headliner at UFC 303, Jiri Prochazka recently turned heads with a picture posted on Instagram, in which he can seemingly be seen enjoying a glass of beer with friends. The image captured the attention of the internet, with some reacting with humor and others showing concern..

Most fans rallied a war cry to motivate the No. 3-ranked light heavyweight contender, while others compared Prochazka's apparent choice of beverage to the antics of other combat sports stars.

One fan joked that the former champion was still in his element, even during recreation:

"Guys hes not drinking beer its the urine of a mountain lion. I hear it’s good for your samurai aura"

Another user wondered how the Czech warrior is so unbothered knowing the mountainous challenge he has to face this month:

"how is bro so chill knowing his gonna go stiff this month."

It's not uncommon for a combat sports star to be compared with 'The Notorious' when seen or captured with alcohol before their fight, as another fan voiced:

"Dude is becoming Conor right in front of our eyes... Minutes after this photo was taken Jiri KOd the grey haired dude"

Some other fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions

Prochazka is going head-to-head against a marauding knockout artist in a title fight on June 29. This will be their second meeting in the octagon after the first ended with Pereira knocking the Czech star out in a stoppage that was widely questioned.

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UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 was forged at the eleventh hour due to unfortunate circumstances

Before the light heavyweight sequel was made official, UFC 303 was going to be headlined by MMA's biggest superstar in a fight that was massively hyped.

Conor McGregor's return to the octagon was going to be a grand spectacle, as is always the case with the Irishman. However, it failed to materialize after the former double champion suffered an injury, prolonging the wait for the UFC's biggest draw to return even more.

That fight is now expected to be postponed until later this year. That left the International Fight Week event this month in need of saving.

Noises of discontent from the MMA fanbase were largely muted when the UFC gifted a treat too sweet for many to nag about. Replacing McGregor's paegeantry will be two of the light heavyweight division's biggest standalone talents, 'Poatan' Pereira and 'Denisa' Prochazka, who will clash in what could be a barn-burner of a contest for 205-pound supremacy.