Jiri Prochazka, former UFC light heavyweight champion, defeated Aleksandar Rakic in UFC 300 and explained that his self-proclaimed samurai identity is about his lifestyle and attitude, not about being an actual samurai.
Jiri Prochazka? Yeah, he’s not a real samurai. But, he doesn’t care.
Last Saturday, he went toe-to-toe with Aleksandar Rakic. It was the main event of UFC 300’s prelims. Rakic had been poking fun at Prochazka’s “samurai” claims, which seemed to tick him off.
And boy, did Rakic pay for it. Prochazka let his fists do the talking, stopping Rakic with a flurry of strikes in round two.
Post-fight, Prochazka was cool about it. He admitted he’s not a samurai, but he doesn’t hold a grudge against Rakic. He spoke on The MMA Hour, explaining that it’s not about being something specific. It’s about how you live your life.
“For me, being a samurai is about attitude,” Prochazka said. “It’s about your life’s paradigm. How you see things. Sometimes, you don’t need to be a samurai. This role isn’t always effective. That’s why I’m not just using it for fighting. We all need to follow something. We need to understand our lives. The bushido moral code helps me stay true to my path. You have to find something that resonates with you. For me, it’s the samurai ideas.”
Not everyone’s a samurai, though. There are other warriors like knights. But, there are rules. Prochazka respects these rules. They’ve helped him through some dark times. They’ve made him stronger, more human. They’ve helped him live a fearless life.
“I don’t know how to repay my coach for these lessons,” Prochazka continued. “Especially for that book. It resonated with me so deeply. I can’t fight or do this show without talking about it. I want people to know about these things. I think a lot of people are trying to understand their lives. Trying to find their way. And this gave me meaning.”
Prochazka made headlines before UFC 300, too. A fan spotted him outside the T-Mobile arena, just staring at it. When asked about it, Prochazka’s answer was as philosophical as his views on being a samurai.
“I do that every night,” he said. “If you’re working with visualization, with your higher self, with the most beautiful idea of your life, the vision, and when you are open to follow that idea, because sometimes it’s not easy, but we do that harder and harder, sometimes, to ourselves. That’s the law of … attraction.”
Prochazka started doing this when he was 17. He believes these techniques are about focus. About realizing there are no limits. “Everything you can imagine, that’s something that is connected with you. And when you feel you are on the same wave, that’s beautiful.”
Prochazka’s approach to the sport has won him fans. They appreciate his mix of traditional martial arts values and pseudo-mysticism. But for Prochazka, it’s not about gaining fans. It’s about following his own path.
“It seems like it’s unique, but when you really follow your way, your connection with your god, then you will see what’s your way,” Prochazka said. “Then your mind will be more calm, peaceful. Then there is no fear, there is just pure belief and you will follow the way. That’s all.”
Prochazka is now 4-1 in his UFC career. His win over Rakic puts him right back in the light heavyweight title picture.