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Jiri Prochazka says he was fighting at '40 or 50 percent' after Carlos Ulberg UFC 327 injury
TL;DR
Jiri Prochazka revealed he fought at '40 or 50 percent' during UFC 327 against Carlos Ulberg, who was injured with a torn ACL. Prochazka claims he eased off in the fight out of mercy before being knocked out.
Key points
- Jiri Prochazka fought at '40 or 50 percent' during UFC 327
- Carlos Ulberg had a torn ACL affecting his performance
- Prochazka eased off in the fight out of mercy
- Ulberg knocked out Prochazka to win the vacant title
- Prochazka expressed regret in an Instagram post
Jiri ProchazkaCarlos UlbergUFC 327
Former heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka stood in front of an injured Carlos Ulberg in the UFC 327 main event on April 11 thinking he had the fight in the bag.
Ulberg had suffered a torn ACL and was having difficulty with stability and balance on the leg. When Prochazka realized Ulberg was injured, he claims to have took his foot off the gas in a show of 'mercy.' Moments later, as Prochazka closed the distance, Ulberg connected with a left hook that sent him crashing to the canvas. Ulberg finished with a series of strikes on the ground to capture the vacant title.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the 33 year-old Czech continued to assert that he wasn't fighting at 100 percent, something he deeply regrets.
"Good evening. Let's keep this short and to the point. I just want to comment on the last fight as I promised, and I'll mainly focus on what actually happened out there. Let's get this down in black and white so no one comes up with any bullish*t here because what I'm hearing all around is complete nonsense," ," Prochazka said in the video post.
"So briefly and the only thing in the fight: I lost my focus there. Focus on the goal. Focus on the target and that was especially the case when Ulberg injured his leg. I know what that’s like because exactly this happened to me once in a fight in Japan. I fought through that match, but I know what it’s like. The pain, the struggle, so all credit to him for managing to keep a cool head, for catching me with that hook.
“But I can say for myself that I know from the moment that happened to him, I wasn’t at 100% anymore. I was at maybe 40, 50% of my performance and I was just sparring and waiting for the referee to stop the fight at any moment.”
“It was a big mistake,” Prochazka continued. “Maybe one of the biggest. I don’t want to beat myself up about it nonstop. Because the most important thing is to always learn from it and move forward stronger. So that’s it.”
Prochazka's looking forward to his next opponent and challenge. He expects to come back better and make another run at the heavyweight championship.
Q&A
What did Jiri Prochazka say about his performance at UFC 327?
Jiri Prochazka stated he was fighting at '40 or 50 percent' during UFC 327 against Carlos Ulberg.
How did Carlos Ulberg's injury affect the UFC 327 fight?
Carlos Ulberg suffered a torn ACL, which impacted his stability and balance, but he ultimately won the fight by knocking out Prochazka.
What was Jiri Prochazka's reaction after losing to Carlos Ulberg?
Prochazka expressed regret for not fighting at 100 percent and clarified his actions during the fight in an Instagram post.
