UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka continues to push his boundaries to get into peak condition for his fights, recently going three days in a dark room to train his mind.
Prochazka is a big proponent of meditation and took things up a notch by removing sensory stimuli and food in the small space, he told The MMA Hour.
“That’s all in darkness for three days, and there you can work with your demons and train what you want,” said Prochazka, who faces Glover Teixeira in a title rematch at UFC 282. “I don’t want to talk about a lot, because that’s like my personal things.”
The light-heavy champ posted a picture of his exploration this past month in his adopted home city of Brno, Czech Republic.
Sensory deprivation tanks are popular around the world; longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan is an outspoken evangelist about the practice and purchased a chamber for his house. Usually, participants spend an hour or so in complete darkness in silence – not days without food with no concept of time.
“That’s the biggest fun, because you have to go to the point where time is ending, and I can’t speak about that, because it’s so, not intense, for me, these things are so personal … and holy,” Prochazka said.
An avid follower of the martial arts philosophy known as Bushido code, Prochazka has embraced unconventional forms of MMA training, once describing his choice of a tree for a striking target.
Sensory deprivation is not the most unusual practice in a sport where superstition and mysticism often collide. Prochazka, however, wears his individuality a little bit louder.
In his daily martial arts practice, Prochazka said he meditates to train his mind so he can be calm in the heat of battle. Things are just more intense in the darkness.
“It’s very helpful,” he said. “There is just you and you. No other people. That was my first time when I did that without food, so just with water. It’s much more strong when you’re without food. All the processes in your body is much stronger. Your mind’s working a lot, and you have to die here first.
“And three days, four days, that’s not so much. But I’m using that just to recognize who I am really, and then I can start training and pushing to the next level with truly me, more honestly.”
Prochazka recently shed another symbol of his martial roots – the “samurai” hair beloved by many of his fans. He said that with his new title, he needed to start a “new episode” in his life.
At UFC 282, the champ plans to bounce back from a performance he calls a career-worst despite a decision over Teixeira that gave him the belt. He visualizes next to his UFC belt, whose gold has “a really nice vibration.” The extra steps are just a compliment to the main work, however.
“I’m working with that just for this reason, but still, the belt is the belt, but the most important is what I have to do,” he said. “I have to win this fight.”
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jiří Procházka has explained why he rejected an offer to defend his title against Glover Teixeira in Brazil.
Closing out 2022 at the promotion’s final pay-per-view, Procházka will put his 205-pound gold on the line against the very same man whom he took it from at UFC 275 this past June.
While a number of suiters looked to stake their claim for the position, “Denisa” insisted that he wanted to run it back with Teixeira in order to secure a more definitive win than the last-gasp submission he recorded in Singapore.
At UFC 282 on December 10, the first Czech champion on MMA’s biggest stage will have that opportunity.
While the rematch has been confirmed for the Las Vegas-held event, initial rumors suggested that the promotion was looking to add it to the card scheduled for Rio de Janeiro in Brazil the following month.
Now, Procházka has revealed why he pushed back against that desire.
Procházka: “I Want To Fight As Soon As Possible”
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Procházka was asked whether he’d asserted his authority as champion in order to prevent Teixeira from being granted a home title challenge.
After confirming that was part of his reasoning for turning down the UFC 283 date, the light heavyweight king also suggested that it came down to timing, with him looking to add a second fight to his 2022 record.
“Yeah, that’s what happened. That’s the second reason, to take it from the strategy point, to fight in Vegas,” Procházka said. “The first reason was just, and is still, I want to fight as soon as possible. So, that’s December, and I’m looking forward to that.
“It (would’ve been) a good challenge, but I don’t need this type of challenge. I want to just fight as soon as possible. December is a good date. It’s the 10th of December, so it’s still this year,” Procházka added. “Now I’m the champion, I want to fight more often.”
While Brazilian fans won’t see veteran former champion Teixeira in action on January 21, a number of fighters native to the country are still being lined up to feature on the card, including Deiveson Figueiredo, Johnny Walker, Shogun Rua, and Gregory Rodrigues
Thanks Hong Kong, that was an interesting read.
I love this. That pic with the belt is awesome. Most guys win that and they think about what materials they can now attain. Jiri is thinking about what more he can take away. Looking forward to learning more about this guy, he might be one of my favorite fighters and I don’t know it yet.
Jiri sounds like a guy who has watched all those kung-fu movies but has not found out yet that all that shit has been debunked. Interesting guy, I feel he has very pure approach to martial arts.
The article forgot to mention he had this song playing on a loop the entire 3 days
he should kick it up a notch and take a hit of lsd first.
Facing his demons? So he was afraid of the dark?