Chael Sonnen can’t understand why newly-crowned UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka wants to run it back with Glover Teixeira after beating the Brazilian to win the belt in a Fight of the Year candidate at UFC 275.
Prochazka initially wanted to defend the title against Jan Blachowciz but later changed his mind and called for a rematch with Teixeira, who is 42 years old and not getting any younger.
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— Jiri BJP Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) July 11, 2022
Sonnen advised Prochazka (3-0 UFC, 29-3-1 MMA) to reconsider his options in light of his recent comments as there are younger, fresher contenders waiting in the wings such as Jan Blachowicz and Anthony Smith.
“Procházka wanting to fight Glover… I don’t think that’s going to happen… (Rematches) get made quickly. Glover’s time to shine and his time to impress everybody, including the boss, is right then,” Sonnen opined on his YouTube channel (h/t MMA News). “That light does not get brighter as the weeks go on, it gets dimmer. For Procházka to say that he would like to fight Glover, it’s a tough spot.”
“Why do you wanna fight a 42-year-old? You gotta start with that,” he added. “I get there’s an answer to this, ‘I beat Glover Teixeira, he was the champion of the world three weeks ago.’ There’s still a question. Why are you, the young new champion, calling out a 42-year-old? Let’s start with that. Why are you calling out somebody you just beat? Why are you calling out somebody you just finished? Why are you not taking on the young fresh blood who was upset in the first place, Blachowicz?”
“I have a feeling when you hear from Anthony Smith soon, he’s going to be something to the effect of, ‘Procházka is already trying to find a fight that’s going to be easier than the number one contender’s match that’s waiting for him.”
Prochazka is 3-0 in the UFC since making his promotional debut in 2020, winning all three fights via stoppage. He is the first Czech Republican champion in UFC history and is currently #9 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
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