Jiří Procházka

Early life Procházka was born on October 14, 1992, in a hospital in Znojmo in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), Procházka's father died at age 27 when Jiří was six years old. In his youth, Procházka played amateur football for TJ Družstevník Hostěradice. He was also an active freestyle BMX rider and a floorball player.

As a teen, Procházka partook in street fights almost weekly, getting into more than 100 of them. This eventually led him to join the hooligan firm tied to Procházka's local football team, FC Zbrojovka Brno, where he would take part in organized group street fights with clubs of other teams, even participating in 30-on-30 brawls.

Procházka first encountered mixed martial arts before beginning high school, after a friend showed him videos of kickboxer Ramon Dekkers and mixed martial artists Mirko Filipovic and Fedor Emelianenko. After watching the film Never Back Down, he began to train in martial arts, in particular Thai boxing. The fight was later awarded 'Czech Fight of the Year' by major media outlets.

Procházka defended his title against Tomáš Penz on June 6, 2014, at GCF 28: Cage Fight 4. He won the fight via technical knockout due to a flying knee in 41 seconds.

Procházka signed a deal with the Rizin Fighting Federation shortly before his win against Evgeni Kondratov. After amassing a record of 14–2–1 during his first three years in the sport, Procházka as the first Czech entered the Rizin Fighting Federation in 2015.

Rizin Fighting Federation Heavyweight Grand Prix Procházka made his promotional debut against Satoshi Ishii on December 29, 2015, in the World Grand Prix 2015 –100 kg tournament at the Rizin FF's first event Saraba no Utake. He won the quarter-final fight via knockout in the first round. Procházka weighed in at 95.9 kgs (211.5 pounds) for the tournament.

Procházka faced Kazuyuki Fujita on April 17, 2016, at Rizin 1 at a catchweight of 110 kgs (242.5 pounds). Procházka weighed in at 98.6 kgs (217.3 pounds) for the bout. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Procházka faced Mark Tanios on September 25, 2016, at Rizin 2 - Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2016: Opening Round. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Procházka suffered a knee injury during the fight and was subsequently pulled from the tournament.

Return to Light Heavyweight Procházka faced Willian Roberto Alves on September 29, 2017, at Fusion FN 16 - Cage Fight, the homecoming event organized by his team. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Procházka faced Karl Albrektsson on December 29, 2017, at Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2017 - Bantamweight Tournament: 2nd Round. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Procházka faced Bruno Cappelozza on July 28, 2018, at Rizin 11. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.

Procházka faced Jake Heun on September 30, 2018, at Rizin 13. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Procházka was scheduled to face Emanuel Newton on December 31, 2018, at Rizin 14. However, Newton was pulled out of the fight, citing a rib injury. Procházka remained on the card and was rescheduled to face Brandon Halsey. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Inaugural Light Heavyweight Champion Procházka faced Muhammed Lawal in rematch on April 21, 2019, at Rizin 15 for the inaugural Rizin FF Light Heavyweight Championship. He won the fight via technical knockout in the third round.

Procházka faced Fábio Maldonado on October 12, 2019, at Rizin 19: Lightweight Grand Prix 1st Round at a catchweight of 100 kgs (220.4 pounds). Procházka weighed in at 97.90 kgs (215.8 pounds) for the bout. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.

Procházka defended his title against C. B. Dollaway on December 31, 2019, at Rizin 20. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This was the last fight on the Procházka's contract with Rizin. After the fight, he signed a new deal with the UFC and vacated his title. He made his promotional debut against former UFC Light Heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir on July 11, 2020, at UFC 251. He won via knockout in the second round and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus award. With this win, he's the only man to give Oezdemir a KO loss in his MMA career.

Procházka was expected to face two–time UFC Light Heavyweight Championship title challenger Dominick Reyes on February 27, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 186. However, in late January, Reyes was pulled from the fight, due to injury, and the bout was rescheduled for May 1, 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka. In a back and forth fight, Procházka won the fight via knockout in the second round. With this win, he was awarded the Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus awards.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion

Procházka was scheduled to face Glover Teixeira for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on May 7, 2022, at UFC 274. However, the bout was postponed to June 11, 2022, at UFC 275 for undisclosed reasons. In a back-and-forth fight which saw both fighters get dropped multiple times, Procházka won the bout and title via rear-naked choke submission in the fifth round, becoming the first Czech fighter to win a UFC championship. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award and the Crypto.com "Fan Bonus of the Night" award paid in bitcoin of US$20,000 for second place.

Procházka was booked to rematch Teixeira at UFC 282 on December 10, 2022. However, it was announced on November 23, 2022, that Procházka was forced out of the fight due to an injury to his right shoulder, and that he had vacated the title.

Procházka faced former UFC Middleweight champion Alex Pereira for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt on November 11, 2023, at UFC 295. He lost by knockout in the second round.

Post championship Procházka faced Aleksandar Rakić on April 13, 2024 at UFC 300. Despite taking numerous leg kicks, Procházka came back and won the bout by technical knockout in the second round. Due to the UFC increasing the payout of post fight bonuses from $50,000 to $300,000 for the event, this fight earned him a $300,000 Performance of the Night award.

On two weeks notice, replacing the bout between Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor, who was injured, Procházka faced Alex Pereira in a rematch for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on June 29, 2024, at UFC 303. After being knocked down in the last second of the first round with a left hook, he lost the bout via a head kick knockdown followed by punches early in the second round.

Procházka faced former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jamahal Hill on January 18, 2025 at UFC 311. He won the fight by technical knockout in the third round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.

Procházka faced former title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. on October 4, 2025 at UFC 320. He won the fight by knockout in the third round. This fight earned him both a Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night award totalling $100,000.

Procházka faced Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight championship on April 11, 2026 in the main event of UFC 327. He lost the bout by knockout in the first round, with Ulberg securing the finish despite sustaining a leg injury earlier in the fight.

Fighting style Procházka is widely regarded for his unorthodox and unpredictable fighting style, blending traditional martial arts philosophy with an aggressive, high-risk approach. Fighting out of a wide stance with his hands often down, he relies heavily on head movement, timing, and reflexes rather than textbook defense.

Rather than focus on control or efficiency, Procházka embraces a philosophy of total engagement, frequently taking damage to create openings for counterattacks. He has stated in interviews that he prefers a mindset of "no-mind" in the cage—drawing from Zen and Bushido principles to fight instinctively rather than strategically. Defensively, Procházka has drawn criticism for leaving openings, but his durability, recovery, and offensive unpredictability have allowed him to survive and turn the tide in chaotic exchanges.

Personal life Procházka is well-known as a devoted follower of the Bushido principles, the samurai moral values and Miyamoto Musashi's teachings and philosophy, especially Musashi's The Book of Five Rings, which Procházka considers a life-changing book for him.

He is a supporter of FC Zbrojovka Brno and was involved in organized football hooliganism, including pre-arranged fights, until he started his professional combat sports career.

Besides his native Czech, Procházka is conversational in English and has actively improved his proficiency in the language since joining the promotion. Procházka is also conversational in Japanese, having mostly fought in the country for the latter half of the 2010s.

While competing in UFC and Rizin FF, Procházka attended Masaryk University for his bachelor's degree, majoring in security forces physical fitness policy. He is also a graduate of his local Protective Service Secondary Academy (Czech: SOŠ OOM), now the Brno's School of Law & Security (Czech: BPA). He has also earned a Master's degree in Security and Strategic Studies from Masaryk University’s School of Special & Sports Education of Security Bodies while competing in the UFC.

Procházka is known for his catchphrase, "BJP" (B'e-y'e-p'e; ). It is the Czech initialism for "Bomby jak piča(!)" (English: Bomb The Shit Out of 'Em[!] or Bomb-'em-up[!]), it is Procházka's battle cry and also the name of his merchandise brand.

His nickname, Denisa, is a girl's name in the Czech language equivalent to the English Denise, and Deniska. It originated during a training camp, where Procházka had responded to his trainer's call for another fighter, who was a girl called Denisa.

Since 2017, Procházka has lived in a cottage about 30 minutes outside of his hometown of Brno, near a reservoir. The cottage was previously thought to have electricity but no gas and or water connection.

Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time) First Czech champion in UFC history Fight of the Night (Three times) 2021: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee & Fan's Choice Knockout of the Year Nominee 2022: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee & Fan's Choice Submission of the Year Nominee 2025: Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Winner & President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee UFC.com Awards 2020: Ranked #5 Newcomer of the Year 2021: Half-Year Awards: Best Fight of the 1HY, Ranked #2 Knockout of the Year & Ranked #5 Fight of the Year 2022: Fight of the Year , Ranked #2 Submission of the Year & Ranked #9 Fighter of the Year 2025: Ranked #5 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #2 Fight of the Year

Rizin Fighting Federation RIZIN Light Heavyweight Championship (Inaugural; former) One successful title defense 2015 RIZIN World Grand Prix Runner Up Gladiator Championship Fighting GCF Light Heavyweight Championship (Inaugural) One successful title defense The Sporting News 2022 Fight of the Year Cageside Press 2022 Fight of the Year 2025 Comeback of the Year 2025 Fight of the Year Combat Press 2022 Fight of the Year 2025 Fight of the Year ESPN 2021 Midyear MMA Awards: Best Finish of the 1HY 2022 Fight of the Year Bleacher Report 2022 UFC Fight of the Year Fight Club News Awards 2013 Czech Fight of the Year vs. Martin Šolc on December 7 MMA Junkie 2021 May Knockout of the Month 2022 June Fight of the Month 2022 Fight of the Year MMA Fighting 2022 Fight of the Year 2025 Comeback of the Year 2025 First Team MMA All-Star MMA Mania 2022 Fight of the Year 2025 Fight of the Year Sherdog 2022 Fight of the Year World MMA Awards 2022 Fight of the Year Wrestling Observer Newsletter 2022 MMA Match of the Year Yahoo! Sports 2022 Fight of the Year CBS Sports 2021 UFC Knockout of the Year 2022 UFC Fight of the Year LowKick MMA 2025 Fight of the Year

Muay Thai Czech Muay Thai Association 2011 Czech National Championships champion (−86.18 kg)

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Carlos Ulberg KO (punches) UFC 327

Miami, Florida, United States Win

Khalil Rountree Jr. KO (punches) UFC 320

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Jamahal Hill TKO (punches) UFC 311

Inglewood, California, United States Loss

Alex Pereira TKO (head kick and punches) UFC 303

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Aleksandar Rakić TKO (punches) UFC 300

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Alex Pereira TKO (elbows) UFC 295

New York City, New York, United States Win

Glover Teixeira Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 275

Kallang, Singapore Win

Dominick Reyes KO (spinning back elbow) UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Volkan Oezdemir KO (punch) UFC 251

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Win

C. B. Dollaway KO (punches) Rizin 20

Saitama, Japan Win

Fábio Maldonado KO (punches) Rizin 19

Osaka, Japan Win

Muhammed Lawal TKO (punches) Rizin 15

Yokohama, Japan Win

Brandon Halsey TKO (submission to punches) Rizin 14

Saitama, Japan Win

Jake Heun TKO (punches) Rizin 13

Saitama, Japan Win

Bruno Cappelozza KO (punches) Rizin 11

Saitama, Japan Win

Karl Albrektsson TKO (punches) Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: 2nd Round

Saitama, Japan Win

Wilian Roberto Alves TKO (punches) Fusion Fight Night Series 16

Brno, Czech Republic Win

Mark Tanios Decision (unanimous) Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 1st Round

Saitama, Japan Win

Kazuyuki Fujita KO (punch) Rizin 1

Nagoya, Japan Loss

Muhammed Lawal KO (punch)

Win

Vadim Nemkov TKO (retirement)

Win

Satoshi Ishii KO (head kick and knees) Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 1 - Saraba

Saitama, Japan Win

Evgeni Kondratov KO (punch) ProFC 59

Kursk, Russia Win

Michał Fijałka TKO (corner stoppage) Gladiator CF 31

Brno, Czech Republic Win

Rokas Stambrauskas TKO (corner stoppage) Gladiator CF: Back in the Fight 4

Příbram, Czech Republic Draw

Mikhail Mokhnatkin Draw (majority) Fight Nights Global 29

Moscow, Russia Win

Darko Stošić TKO (punches) Gladiator CF: Cage Fight 5

Brno, Czech Republic Win

Tomáš Penz TKO (flying knee and punches) Gladiator CF 28

Brno, Czech Republic Win

Viktor Bogutzki Submission (rear-naked choke) Gladiator CF 27

Prague, Czech Republic Win

Martin Šolc KO (flying knee) Gladiator CF 26

Prague, Czech Republic Win

Oliver Dohring TKO (punches) Rock the Cage 4

Greifswald, Germany Loss

Abdul-Kerim Edilov Submission (rear-naked choke) Fight Nights Global 16

Moscow, Russia Win

Radovan Estocin KO (flying knee and punches) Gladiator CF 23

Brno, Czech Republic Win

Josef Žák TKO (punches) Gladiator CF 19

Příbram, Czech Republic Loss

Bojan Veličković TKO (punches) Supreme FC 1

Belgrade, Serbia Win

Strahinja Denić Submission (triangle choke) Ring Fight Brno 1

Brno, Czech Republic Win

Martin Vaniš TKO (punches) Gladiator CF 17

Ostrava, Czech Republic Win

Vladimír Eis KO (knee) Gladiator CF 15

Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic Win

Stanislav Futera KO (punch) Gladiator CF 10

Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic

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