Jiri Prochazka recently fired back at Aleksandar Rakic's remarks about him before their UFC 300 match.
The two light heavyweights will clash in the featured preliminary bout for UFC 300, which is set to take place on April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rakic was asked during the media day about his prior comment regarding Prochazka being a phony samurai and if it had any impact on the former UFC light heavyweight champion.
The No.5-ranked Rakic had taunted the No.2-ranked Prochazka about his appreciation for Miyamoto Musashi's 'The Book of Five Rings' and how it influenced the Czech's identity as a mixed martial artist.
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Rakic answered:
"Yeah, I said he's a fake samurai because, you know, you cannot become a samurai after just reading a book, you know. What his coach gave it to him and live this spirit, you know. If you're a samurai, you need to live this for a long time and not for the last two-three years. So that's why I said he's a fake samurai."
Check out Aleksandar Rakic's comments below:
In response to Rakic's remarks, Prochazka said:
''Aleksandar is talking too much. Like I said, he's talking too much. He don't know me. But he will know me in the cage.''
Check out Jiri Prochazka's comments below:
Prochazka won the light heavyweight title at UFC 275 in June 2022, defeating Glover Teixeira with a last-minute rear-naked choke finish. However, a major shoulder injury caused him to withdraw from his rematch against the Brazilian at UFC 282. He decided to give up the title to keep the division moving forward.
The 31-year-old 'BJP' made a comeback at UFC 295 in November. His return was marked by a second-round KO loss to Alex Pereira in a contest for the vacant 205-pound belt.
Meanwhile, Rakic's last octagon appearance was back in 2022 at UFC Vegas 54, where he was defeated by Jan Blachowicz by a third-round TKO.
Jiri Prochazka discusses significance of his bout at UFC 300
Jiri Prochazka, who has not appeared on the prelims since his promotional debut, is unconcerned with his placement on the UFC 300 card.
In a recent interview with The Schmo, Prochazka discussed the significance of his upcoming match and not being on the main card:
"I'm taking it like this is my new start. For me, it doesn't matter if I'm on the prelims or in the main event, my fight is always the main event. Because I'm giving the [fans] a show, I'm making the fight.''
Check out Jiri Prochazka's comments below (1:46):