Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira Prediction: Belt is Off to Brazil

The situation in the bantamweight division is kind of a soap opera now, and here is a timeline of events. Prochazka became champion by choking out Glover Teixeira but then got injured and retained the title. After that, Teixeira got another shot - he fought Jamahal Hill for the vacant title and lost again. But Hill was injured, too, and the belt returned to the league. And the story repeats itself - the title is vacant again. Jiri Prochazka has recovered and will now fight Alex Pereira, a champion but in a lower division.

Jiri Prochazka had very few fights in the UFC. In 2019, he became the champion of the Rizin League and defended the belt in the same year. He was invited to the strongest league in the world, secured two victories by knockout, and immediately earned the right to fight for the belt. Then, what you already know. Interesting fact - in professional mixed martial arts, Jiri Prochazka had 32 bouts and only one ended with the judges' decision (in 2016).

Pereira's fate is even more entertaining. We remember this top kickboxer from Glory, where he was champion in two weight classes, fought twice for the belt with Artyom Vakhitov and beat Israel Adesanya.

It was this fact that piqued the interest of Dana White. Pereira had four MMA fights in the Jungle Fight and LFA leagues (one defeat and three wins) and immediately received an invitation to the UFC. Three bouts later, he was matched up with Adesanya, won, and became champion. 

However, Alex lost in the rematch but moved up in weight class, won a split decision over Jan Blachowicz, and will now fight here for the belt.

Strange decisions of the league seem even stranger when you realize that Magomed Ankalaev is being very sad somewhere.

Both rely on standing and have the toughest fists but use different tactics. We're in for a real madness here. Jiri Prochazka fights like he wants to, and often, he doesn't know what to do in the next second. As for Pereira, he is a classic kickboxer who boxes by book and has a vast arsenal of punches and combinations. It's impossible to predict how things will go there. Everything will be decided by the slightest mistake or random event, but one thing is certain - this outrage will not last long. Someone will knock the other one out.