Czech Warrior Reveals Shift in Mindset After Tough UFC Losses
Jiří Procházka achieved a feat unlikely to be repeated by another Czech or Slovak fighter in the near future when he captured the UFC light heavyweight title almost four years ago. Now, he’s gearing up for another title shot in April, but with a significantly altered approach.
Procházka has revealed a change in his mindset, focusing less on the expectations of fans and those around him and more on fighting for his own fulfillment. “I’m not ashamed to say it, it’s not embarrassing, but it’s mainly a gift for myself. The preparation, the sacrifices, all of it – it’s about recognizing my own value, realizing that I truly aim for to be champion. But not to please anyone, or to deliver something to someone,” he said in a recent interview with iSport.cz.
“I realized I was doing it too much for dreams and visions that weren’t my own. I had to put it through the sieve of my own dreams and recognize what was truly my own – whether it wasn’t someone else’s desire that I was projecting onto myself… I want to bring the belt back to the Czech Republic because of the dream I have within myself.”
This shift in perspective came after a pair of difficult defeats at the hands of Alex Pereira. “It came after the second fight with Pereira. You put everything together that’s left… Those moments you write down clearly and remember.”
Procházka feels he has matured through those experiences. “You understand that you’re in this game alone, even though we’re all on the same boat and sailing through the universe together. I love people, I like to help, sometimes I as well let myself be helped, but as a man I know that you necessitate to sober up, grow up and clearly throw yourself on the path to your dreams, to what a person really wants. Alone and hard.”
An American film crew recently visited Procházka to gather footage for Countdown, the traditional documentary series that chronicles the journeys of the main event fighters. The light heavyweight contender continues to undergo rigorous training. “We still have a lot of function to do. We need to die many times before we proceed into the cage,” he concluded.
The fight is rapidly approaching, with just one month remaining until his bout against Carlos Ulberg on April 11th. The event is scheduled to take place on April 11.
