| Jiří Procházka | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Procházka in 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Born | (1992-10-14)October 14, 1992 (age 32) Znojmo,Czechoslovakia[1] | |||||||||||
| Other names | BJP Denisa[2] | |||||||||||
| Residence | Brno, Czech Republic | |||||||||||
| Nationality | Czech | |||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | |||||||||||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | |||||||||||
| Division | Light Heavyweight (2012–2015, 2017–present) Heavyweight (2015–2016) | |||||||||||
| Reach | 80 in (203 cm)[3] | |||||||||||
| Style | Muay Thai | |||||||||||
| Fighting out of | Brno, Czech Republic | |||||||||||
| Team |
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| Trainer | ||||||||||||
| Rank | Black belt inKyokushin[9][10] | |||||||||||
| Years active | 2012–present (MMA) | |||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | ||||||||||||
| Total | 37 | |||||||||||
| Wins | 31 | |||||||||||
| By knockout | 27 | |||||||||||
| By submission | 3 | |||||||||||
| By decision | 1 | |||||||||||
| Losses | 5 | |||||||||||
| By knockout | 4 | |||||||||||
| By submission | 1 | |||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | |||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||
| University | Masaryk University[11] | |||||||||||
| Website | www | |||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | ||||||||||||
Medal record
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Jiří Procházka (Czech:[ˈjɪr̝iːˈproxaːska]ⓘ;[ˈjɪrka]ⓘ; born October 14, 1992) is a Czech professionalmixed martial artist. He currently competes in theLight Heavyweight division of theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a formerUFC Light Heavyweight Champion and the first Czech fighter to win a UFC championship. He was the inauguralRizin Fighting Federation Light Heavyweight Champion and the inaugural Gladiator Fighting Championship Light Heavyweight Champion. As of October 29, 2024, he is #2 in theUFC light heavyweight rankings.[13]
Procházka was born on October 14, 1992, in a hospital inZnojmo inCzechoslovakia (now theCzech Republic),[1] but he comes from the nearby village ofHostěradice.[14] Procházka's father died when he was six years old.[15][unreliable source?] In his youth, Procházka played amateurfootball for TJ Družstevník Hostěradice. He was also an activefreestyle BMX rider and afloorball player.[16]
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 club 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.[17]
Procházka first encountered mixed martial arts before beginning high school, after a friend showed him videos of kickboxerRamon Dekkers and mixed martial artistsMirko Filipovic andFedor Emelianenko.[18] After watching the filmNever Back Down, he began to train in martial arts, in particularThai boxing.[18]
Procházka made his professional MMA debut in April 2012 for the Gladiator Fighting Championship, the biggest promotion in his native Czech Republic at the time. He amassed a 7–2 record within his first two years of fighting professionally.[19]
In his tenth professional bout, he won the inaugural GCF Light Heavyweight Championship in the back-and-forth fight against Czech MMA pioneer Martin Šolc via flying knee knockout on December 7, 2013, at GCF 26 FN. Video of the bout went viral in the Czech Republic and Procházka was also awarded a post-fight bonus.[19] The fight was later awarded 'Czech Fight of the Year' by major media outlets.[20]
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.[21]
Procházka signed a deal with theRizin 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 theRizin Fighting Federation in 2015.[22][23]
Procházka made his promotional debut againstSatoshi 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.[24][22][excessive citations]
Procházka's next fight in the Rizin FF's -100 kg tournament was at Iza no Mai on December 31, 2015. He won the semi-final fight againstVadim Nemkov via technical knockout. Later that same night, he lost in the final round againstMuhammed Lawal via knockout in the first round.[25] Procházka weighed in at 95.9 kgs (211.5 pounds) for the tournament.[26]
Procházka facedKazuyuki 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.[27] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[28]
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.[29] Procházka suffered a knee injury during the fight and was subsequently pulled from the tournament.[30]
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.[31]
Procházka facedKarl 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.[32]
Procházka facedBruno Cappelozza on July 28, 2018, at Rizin 11. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[33]
Procházka faced Jake Heun on September 30, 2018, at Rizin 13. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[34]
Procházka was scheduled to faceEmanuel Newton on December 31, 2018, at Rizin 14.[35] However, Newton was pulled out of the fight, citing a rib injury. Procházka remained on the card and was rescheduled to faceBrandon Halsey.[36] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[37]
Procházka facedMuhammed 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.[38]
Procházka facedFábio 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.[39] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[40]
Procházka defended his title againstC. B. Dollaway on December 31, 2019, at Rizin 20.[41] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[42] This was the last fight on the Procházka's contract with Rizin. After the fight, he signed a new deal with theUFC and vacated his title.[43]
Procházka signed a contract with theUFC in January 2020.[43] He made his promotional debut against formerUFC Light Heavyweight title challengerVolkan Oezdemir on July 11, 2020, atUFC 251.[44] He won via knockout in the second round and was awarded aPerformance of the Night bonus award. With this win, he's the only man to give Oezdemir a KO loss in his MMA career.[45]
Procházka was expected to face two–timeUFC Light Heavyweight Championship title challengerDominick Reyes on February 27, 2021, atUFC Fight Night 186.[46] However, in late January, Reyes was pulled from the fight, due to injury, and the bout was rescheduled for May 1, 2021, atUFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka.[47][48] In a back and forth fight, Procházka won the fight via knockout in the second round.[49] With this win, he was awarded thePerformance of the Night andFight of the Night bonus awards.[50]
Procházka was scheduled to faceGlover Teixeira for theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship on May 7, 2022, atUFC 274.[51] However, the bout was postponed to June 11, 2022, atUFC 275 for undisclosed reasons.[52] 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.[53] This fight earned him theFight of the Night award[54] and theCrypto.com"Fan Bonus of the Night" award paid inbitcoin of US$20,000 for second place.[55]
Procházka was booked to rematch Teixeira atUFC 282 on December 10, 2022.[56] 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.[57]
Procházka faced formerUFC Middleweight championAlex Pereira for the vacantUFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt on November 11, 2023, atUFC 295.[58] He lost by knockout in the second round.[59]
Procházka facedAleksandar Rakić on April 13, 2024 atUFC 300.[60] Despite taking numerous leg kicks, Procházka came back and won the bout by technical knockout in the second round.[61] Due to the UFC increasing the payout of post fight bonuses from $50,000 to $300,000 for the event,[62] this fight earned him a $300,000Performance of the Night award.[63]
On two weeks notice, replacing the bout betweenMichael Chandler andConor McGregor, who was injured, Procházka facedAlex Pereira in a rematch for theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship on June 29, 2024, atUFC 303.[64] 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.[65]
Procházka faced formerUFC Light Heavyweight ChampionJamahal Hill on January 18, 2025 atUFC 311.[66] He won the fight by technical knockout in the third round.[67] This fight earned him anotherPerformance of the Night award.[68]
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.[69]
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.[70] 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.[71]
Procházka is well-known as a devoted follower of theBushido principles, thesamurai moral values andMiyamoto Musashi's teachings and philosophy, especiallyMusashi'sThe Book of Five Rings, which Procházka considers a life-changing book for him.[72]
He is a supporter ofFC Zbrojovka Brno and was involved in organizedfootball hooliganism, including pre-arranged fights, until he started his professional combat sports career.[73]
Besides his native Czech, Procházka is conversational in English and has actively improved his proficiency in the language since joining the promotion.[74] While competing in UFC and Rizin FF, Procházka attendedMasaryk University for his bachelor's degree, majoring in security forces physical fitness policy.[75] He is also a graduate of his localProtective Service Secondary Academy (Czech: SOŠ OOM), now the Brno's School of Law & Security (Czech: BPA).[76]
Procházka is known for his catchphrase,"BJP" (B'e-y'e-p'e;Czech:[bɛːjɛːpɛː]ⓘ). It is the Czech initialism for"Bombyjakpiča(!)" (English:Bomb The Shit Out of 'Em[!] orBomb-'em-up[!]), it is Procházka's battle cry and also the name of his merchandise brand.[77]
His nickname,Denisa, is a girl's name in the Czech language equivalent to the EnglishDenise, andDeniska. It originated during a training camp, where Procházka had responded to his trainer's call for another fighter, who was a girl called Denisa.[78]
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.[17] This was later debunked by Jiri himself in a YouTube video, stating that he has the aforementioned utilities.[79]
| 37 matches | 31 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 27 | 4 |
| By submission | 3 | 1 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 31–5–1 | Jamahal Hill | TKO (punches) | UFC 311 | January 18, 2025 | 3 | 3:01 | Inglewood, California, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 30–5–1 | Alex Pereira | TKO (head kick and punches) | UFC 303 | June 29, 2024 | 2 | 0:13 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 30–4–1 | Aleksandar Rakić | TKO (punches) | UFC 300 | April 13, 2024 | 2 | 3:17 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 29–4–1 | Alex Pereira | TKO (elbows) | UFC 295 | November 11, 2023 | 2 | 4:08 | New York City, New York, United States | For the vacantUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 29–3–1 | Glover Teixeira | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 275 | June 12, 2022 | 5 | 4:32 | Kallang, Singapore | Won theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Fight of the Night. Later vacated the title due to injury. |
| Win | 28–3–1 | Dominick Reyes | KO (spinning back elbow) | UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka | May 1, 2021 | 2 | 4:29 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 27–3–1 | Volkan Oezdemir | KO (punch) | UFC 251 | July 12, 2020 | 2 | 0:49 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 26–3–1 | C. B. Dollaway | KO (punches) | Rizin 20 | December 31, 2019 | 1 | 1:55 | Saitama, Japan | Defended theRizin Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 25–3–1 | Fábio Maldonado | KO (punches) | Rizin 19 | October 12, 2019 | 1 | 1:49 | Osaka, Japan | Catchweight (220 lb) bout. |
| Win | 24–3–1 | Muhammed Lawal | TKO (punches) | Rizin 15 | April 21, 2019 | 3 | 3:02 | Yokohama, Japan | Won the inauguralRizin Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 23–3–1 | Brandon Halsey | TKO (submission to punches) | Rizin 14 | December 31, 2018 | 1 | 6:30 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 22–3–1 | Jake Heun | TKO (punches) | Rizin 13 | September 30, 2018 | 1 | 4:29 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 21–3–1 | Bruno Cappelozza | KO (punches) | Rizin 11 | July 28, 2018 | 1 | 1:23 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 20–3–1 | Karl Albrektsson | TKO (punches) | Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: 2nd Round | December 29, 2017 | 1 | 9:57 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 19–3–1 | Wilian Roberto Alves | TKO (punches) | Fusion Fight Night Series 16 | September 29, 2017 | 1 | 3:41 | Brno, Czech Republic | Return to Light Heavyweight. |
| Win | 18–3–1 | Mark Tanios | Decision (unanimous) | Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 1st Round | September 25, 2016 | 2 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | 2016 Rizin Openweight Grand Prix First round. |
| Win | 17–3–1 | Kazuyuki Fujita | KO (punch) | Rizin 1 | April 17, 2016 | 1 | 3:18 | Nagoya, Japan | Catchweight (242 lb) bout. |
| Loss | 16–3–1 | Muhammed Lawal | KO (punch) | Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 2 - Iza | December 31, 2015 | 1 | 5:09 | Saitama, Japan | 2015 Rizin World Grand Prix Final. |
| Win | 16–2–1 | Vadim Nemkov | TKO (retirement) | 1 | 10:00 | 2015 Rizin World Grand Prix Semifinal. | |||
| Win | 15–2–1 | Satoshi Ishii | KO (head kick and knees) | Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 1 - Saraba | December 29, 2015 | 1 | 1:36 | Saitama, Japan | Heavyweight debut.2015 Rizin World Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 14–2–1 | Evgeni Kondratov | KO (punch) | ProFC 59 | November 21, 2015 | 1 | 4:23 | Kursk, Russia | |
| Win | 13–2–1 | Michał Fijałka | TKO (corner stoppage) | Gladiator CF 31 | May 22, 2015 | 1 | 5:00 | Brno, Czech Republic | |
| Win | 12–2–1 | Rokas Stambrauskas | TKO (corner stoppage) | GCF Challenge: Back in the Fight 4 | March 27, 2015 | 1 | 5:00 | Příbram, Czech Republic | |
| Draw | 11–2–1 | Mikhail Mokhnatkin | Draw (majority) | Fight Nights Global 29 | December 20, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 11–2 | Darko Stošić | TKO (punches) | GCF Challenge: Cage Fight 5 | November 14, 2014 | 1 | 1:09 | Brno, Czech Republic | |
| Win | 10–2 | Tomáš Penz | TKO (flying knee and punches) | Gladiator CF 28 | June 6, 2014 | 1 | 0:41 | Brno, Czech Republic | Defended the GCF Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 9–2 | Viktor Bogutzki | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Gladiator CF 27 | March 21, 2014 | 1 | 2:17 | Prague, Czech Republic | |
| Win | 8–2 | Martin Šolc | KO (flying knee) | Gladiator CF 26 | December 7, 2013 | 3 | 4:00 | Prague, Czech Republic | Won the inaugural GCF Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–2 | Oliver Dohring | TKO (punches) | Rock the Cage 4 | October 12, 2013 | 1 | N/A | Greifswald, Germany | |
| Loss | 6–2 | Abdul-Kerim Edilov | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Fight Nights Global 16 | June 20, 2013 | 1 | 1:56 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 6–1 | Radovan Estocin | KO (flying knee and punches) | Gladiator CF 23 | May 10, 2013 | 1 | 0:26 | Brno, Czech Republic | |
| Win | 5–1 | Josef Žák | TKO (punches) | Gladiator CF 19 | February 15, 2013 | 1 | N/A | Příbram, Czech Republic | |
| Loss | 4–1 | Bojan Veličković | TKO (punches) | Supreme FC 1 | December 9, 2012 | 1 | N/A | Belgrade, Serbia | |
| Win | 4–0 | Strahinja Denić | Submission (triangle choke) | Ring Fight Brno 1 | November 15, 2012 | 1 | 2:10 | Brno, Czech Republic | |
| Win | 3–0 | Martin Vaniš | TKO (punches) | Gladiator CF 17 | October 20, 2012 | 1 | 2:48 | Ostrava, Czech Republic | |
| Win | 2–0 | Vladimír Eis | KO (knee) | Gladiator CF 15 | August 24, 2012 | 1 | 1:02 | Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic | |
| Win | 1–0 | Stanislav Futera | KO (punch) | Gladiator CF 10 | April 7, 2012 | 1 | 0:53 | Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic | Light Heavyweight debut. |
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV Buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 275 | Teixeira vs.Procházka | June 12, 2022 | Singapore Indoor Stadium | Kallang, Singapore | Not Disclosed[107] |
| 2. | UFC 295 | Procházka vs.Pereira | November 11, 2023 | Madison Square Garden | New York City, New York, United States | Not Disclosed[108] |
| 3. | UFC 303 | Pereira vs.Procházka 2 | June 29, 2024 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Not Disclosed[109] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Jiří Procházka: The Conscious Fighter[110] | Himself | TVDocumentary |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Blbej den (English: Bad Day)[111] | Karateka / Himself | Anthology streaming TV miniseries Lead role Episode: "Karate je svinstvo (English: Karate Is a Hell of a Thing)"[112] Season 1 Episode 9 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | 17thUFC Light Heavyweight Champion 11 June 2022 – 23 November 2022 Vacated | Succeeded by |
Updated to 24 June 2025 |
