Jiri Prochazka
Division: Light heavyweight
Result: Jiri Prochazka def. Volkan Oezdemir via knockout (punch) – 0:49, Round 2
Record: (27-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: B+
[autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] seemed to really soak in his first Bruce Buffer introduction ahead of his UFC debut, then turned in a performance against Volkan Oezdemir that showed off his unorthodox, yet effective, striking skills as he kicked off his UFC career with a spectacular knockout.
In an evenly-contested opening round, Prochazka displayed an array of bizarre mannerisms as he held his hands low and continually grabbed his right hand with his left before letting fly with off rapid-fire punches from a host of unusual angles.
Prochazka’s strange style wasn’t entirely without risk, however, and he was clipped on multiple occasions by the patient, more compact Oezdemir. But, despite being knocked off balance a couple of times by well-timed counters from the Swiss contender, the Czech debutant would not be denied.
The knockout came early in the second round, and it was a cracker. A superb right hand found its mark and instantly knocked out Oezdemir as Prochazka claimed a debut win to remember.
It wasn’t a flawless victory – he revealed in his post-fight interview his own annoyance at being clipped so often during the fight. But if he can show up and hand the No. 7-ranked contender his first knockout loss on a bad night, one can only imagine what Prochazka might achieve on a good one.
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