Daniel Cormier warns Jiri Prochazka not to get overzealous against Alex Pereira.
Prochazka (30-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) rematches Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 303 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After getting knocked out by Pereira in their vacant light heavyweight title fight at UFC 295, Prochazka rebounded with a knockout of Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300. Just like Pereira did, Rakic was able to hurt Prochazka with leg kicks. However, Prochazka walked through Rakic’s strikes before rocking him with a right hand and finishing him on the ground.
“When these two dudes get locked in there, it is absolute fireworks,” Cormier told ESPN. “Jiri Prochazka was having success and then Alex Pereira seemed to figure him out. The outside leg kicks, I want to know whether or not Prochazka has made the adjustments that will allow for him to defend that weapon a little better because if he can’t, Pereira will limit him in terms of his movement and knock him out again.”
Cormier advises Prochazka against implementing a similar game plan against Pereira.
“Prochazka just decided against Rakic that ‘tonight it’s not happening,'” Cormier said. “Even though he was beat up from the leg kicks, he just went and attacked him. You cannot do that against Alex Pereira. You’ve got to be more cautious.
“I’m excited about this fight. …When Jiri fought Rakic, he just said, ‘I’m not getting beat by you,’ and he kind of just walked him down and knocked him out. You cannot do that against Alex. You’ll get knocked out.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
