Jiri Prochazka agrees with stoppage decision in UFC 295 title defeat to Alex Pereira - 'It was right'

Jiri Prochazka believes that the referee’s decision to stop the fight as he lost to Alex Pereira at UFC 295 was the correct one.

The stoppage meant that Pereira claimed the vacant light heavyweight belt in a fight that many had found hard to predict in the build-up to the New York headliner.

However, Pereira had Prochazka on his knees in the second round and the clash was brought to a halt, though some TNT Sports pundits suggested it could have been allowed to run a touch longer.

Prochazka said: "I think it was right. I was out but I will never stop. I want to work on it and come back stronger than ever. I'll be back."

Referee Mark Goddard stopped the action when the Czech fighter was on his back and Pereira was poised to rain down more blows.

The Brazilian concurred: "I'm not surprised [it was stopped]. After the first left hook, he fell to my legs and I don't think it was a bad stoppage."

The match was Prochazka’s first since injuring his shoulder, which kept him out for almost a year and a half, and was a chance to win back the belt that he won from Glover Teixeira in June 2022.

Jamahal Hill, who won the belt in January when it was vacant, against Teixeira, ruptured his Achilles and has been linked with a fight against the new champion.

Discussing the chance of a fight with Hill, Pereira said: "I'm an active fighter and I want to fight him really soon."

Pereira also entertained a fight with Israel Adesanya, who could move up a weight class in a trilogy rematch between the pair.

"I'm not the type of guy to call people out, but there's a guy that back in the day [who] did some interviews and said I was a guy who was just going to stay in the bar," Pereira continued.

"That motivated me. He rescued me from a bar to be here today. This guy said he just wants to come back and fight in 2027. I think he's a very talented guy. It's a waste of talent so I want to rescue him too, to come here and fight.

"I know that I'm not going to do what he did to me, and make me fight three times to fight him at middleweight. We have a lot of history. I want to make this fight happen. Adesanya, come to daddy."

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