BMF titleholder Max Holloway is rolling with Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303.
On Saturday night, June 29, Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to the familiar confines of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for a loaded fight card that has since some significant changes over the last few weeks.
Originally, the International Fight Week finale was scheduled to be headlined by the return of Irish megastar Conor McGregor. But after breaking his pinky toe while training, ‘Mystic Mac’ bowed out of the bout, paving the way for a light heavyweight championship rematch as reigning champion Alex Pereira and No. 1 ranked contender Jiri Prochazka step in on 16 days’ notice to save the day.
The fight will serve as a sequel to their November 2023 clash when ‘Poatan’ dispatched Prochazka in the second round to claim the vacant 205-pound crown.
As it stands, Pereira is a moderate favorite going into UFC 303, sitting at -148 compared to ‘BJP’ who is a +124 underdog.
Max Holloway does not agree with those odds.
Breaking down Saturday’s 13-fight card (fingers crossed it stays that way), ‘Blessed’ believes that if someone is going to put away Pereira, the time is now and Prochazka is just the man to do it.
“If there is a time to get Mr. Pereira in a fight, the time is now,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel. “Jiri was in his hut right after UFC 300 training for a fight, training for something. He left UFC 300, went back home to his hut, and started training again. Mr. Pereira, on the other hand, was on the opposite side of the world doing world tours. In Australia doing side missions like he’s been. He’s always been doing side missions, man, this guy is a G.
“Always been doing side missions, but if I had to tell you guys that the time to get Alex Pereira, the time would be now, bro. I mean, full camp both guys, anybody can win a fight. This is MMA, brother. Don’t say—I don’t want to disrespect Jiri and be like, ‘Oh, this is the only chance you got.’ I’m just saying, if your odds are greater on one side, it is now, guys, it is now. If I was a betting man and a gambler, I’d have to go with Jiri.”
Max Holloway picks Jiri Prochazka to beat Alex Pereira at #UFC303:
“If there is a time to [beat] Pereira in a fight, the time is now. Jiri was in his hut right after UFC 300 training for a fight…
Pereira on the other hand was on the opposite side of the world, doing world… pic.twitter.com/M87YIOjont
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 27, 2024
Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka Are Two of MMA’s Most Prolific KO Artists
Since their UFC 295 meeting at Madison Square Garden, both men have added another highlight-reel KOs to their resume with Pereira landing an impressive first-round knockout against ex-titleholder Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April.
Hours before ‘Poatan’ turned Hill into a meme, ‘BJP’ scored an epic come-from-behind second-round finish against Aleksandar Rakic that same night.
