Former champion rejected UFC 317 return to finish exams for university degree: ‘Everything is postponed’

Jiri Prochazka wants to complete his degree before making a UFC return.

Prochazka, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, is currently attending Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, where he is in the final stages of a Security and Strategic Studies degree.

Prochazka won the UFC light heavyweight title after submitting Glover Teixeira in 2022Credit: GETTYHis last exams to finish the degree come in June, overlapping with the recently announced UFC 317 card.

Prochazka, 32, knocked out Jamahal Hill in his last fight at UFC 311 in January to put his name right back in the mix for a title shot at 205lbs.

However, the ‘Czech Samurai’ will have to wait for another crack at gold, until he has finished all of his university exams.

“We had one offer for a match,” Prochazka’s coach, Matin Karaivanov, told Sports.cz, speaking on his fighter’s future.

READ MORE MMA NEWS“But everything is being postponed because of school. Once he finishes, we will continue negotiations.”

Karaivanov went on to reveal that his team’s ‘next steps’ will depend on how communications play out between the UFC and Alex Pereira.

Prochazka won the UFC light heavyweight title after submitting Glover Teixeira in 2022, but lost it in his next fight when he was knocked out by Pereira.

Pereira, meanwhile, lost his light heavyweight strap to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 last March and has since been in negotiations for a rematch.

Last week, the Brazilian star threatened UFC bosses that he would retire from MMA altogether, but later claimed his X account was hacked in what was a bizarre situation.

Following the incident, Ankalaev wrote online that he was ‘offered to fight Alex International Fight Week,’ with reports suggesting Pereira was not willing to take the fight on short notice.

Prochazka is the No. 2 ranked UFC light heavyweightCredit: Getty

But the 32-year-old has been knocked out twice PereiraCredit: GettyHe then took to X on Tuesday night and said: “I hope Chama will show up in Abu Dhabi, don’t be scared homie,” referring to Pereira’s iconic catchphrase.

Pereira knocked out Prochazka at UFC 295 in November 2023 to win the light heavyweight belt for the first time, after asserting his dominance as a middleweight champion.

He then defended it three times in a record-breaking 2024, knocking out Prochazka once again, after he had defended the title against Hill and before he stopped Khalil Rountree Jr.

However, ‘Poatan’ suffered his first defeat since he was stopped by Israel Adesanya in April 2023 at the hands of Ankalaev, is now the champion having won 21 of his 24 professional MMA bouts.

Ankalaev’s comments followed some huge announcements from UFC CEO Dana White on Tuesday.

White revealed that Islam Makhachev is vacating his lightweight title, meaning Ilia Topuria will challenge Charles Oliveira for the 155lbs crown.

Pereira lost the light heavyweight title to Ankalaev at UFC 313 in MarchCredit: Getty
UFC light heavyweight rankings

Magomed Ankalaev (c)Alex PereiraJiri ProchazkaJamahal HillJan BlachowiczAlexsandar RakicKhalil Rountree Jr.Dominick ReyesVolkan Oezdemir Nikita KrylovJohnny WalkerAzamat MurzakanovZhang MingyangBogdan GuskovAlonzo MenifieldThe bout will headline UFC 317 in Las Vegs on June 28 for International Fight Week as Alexandre Pantoja defends his flyweight title against Kai Kara-France in the co-main event.

White also announced the main event for UFC 319, which comes after Dustin Poirier bows out of the sport once and for all after a main event fight with Max Holloway at UFC 318.

Khamzat Chimaev will get his first shot at welterweight gold against current champion Dricus Du Plessis at Chicago’s United Centre for UFC 319, with no other fights for the card announced yet.

As part of White’s shake-up, he said that he will soon be in a position to confirm the blockbuster heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Nonetheless, it promises to be a huge year for the UFC with their busy schedule building up into a fantastic summer.

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