Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka didn’t hold back on Magomed Ankalaev.
Jiri Prochazka could potentially be Magomed Ankalaev‘s first title challenger amid growing uncertainty of Alex Pereira‘s return timeline. Pereira shared a staggering weight gain on social media earlier this week, leading many to believe the UFC star won’t return to the Octagon until late in 2025 at the earliest.
In the meantime, Prochazka and Ankalaev have traded barbs online in recent weeks since Ankalaev won the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 313. Ankalaev and Pereira initially agreed to an immediate rematch, but the two have seemed on different pages since their previous cordiality.
Ankalaev’s trash talk has ramped up over the last year during his UFC rise. Prochazka believes Ankalaev is doing himself a disservice in taunting some of the division’s top contenders.
Jiri Prochazka scolds Magomed Ankalaev for ‘nerd’ comments about next UFC title fight
In a recent interview with Full Violence, Prochazka responded to Ankalaev’s latest comments.
“I’m studying university for right now, three years, everything is settled, everything is good. I’m after the [Ankalaev] fight, it’s a little bit of time. So right now I’m focused on my target. Right now, what’s most important to me, is school,” Prochazka admitted.
“He’s a big mouth guy, I don’t care if it’s him or his manager, because he did enough for people to stop taking him seriously. He will put himself down with all of this nonsense talking.”
Prochazka was then asked about his latest timeline for a return to the Octagon.
“August, October, something like that. I believe Pereira isn’t going to fight [Ankalaev], so my manager is trying to keep negotiating the fight with Ankalaev,” Prochazka said.
“If Pereira will fight with him, I will fight with somebody else, but I’m focused on Ankalaev after that.”
Alex Pereira to heavyweight?
As for what’s next for Pereira, his recent weight gain prompted many to speculate whether or not a potential clash with interim UFC heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall was in the works. Aspinall’s desired matchup with Jon Jones remains uncertain, although UFC CEO Dana White has set a two-week deadline to potentially make the fight happen.
Aspinall recently revealed that he has a date and location for his fighting return, although it’s uncertain whether or not Jones will be the opponent. Jones could potentially be stripped of his UFC heavyweight title if the Aspinall negotiations don’t progress in the coming days.
Pereira has previously hinted at a heavyweight booking before he hangs up the gloves, and a matchup with Aspinall could make a lot of sense for both sides.
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