Jiri Prochazka fires back at Magomed Ankalaev: ‘The only person who’s a fraud is him’

Jiri Prochazka really didn’t have a problem with Magomed Ankalaev until the new light heavyweight champion took a shot at him just hours after beating Alex Pereira in the UFC 313 main event.

As a former champion and perennial contender in the division, Prochazka was obviously invested in the outcome of the fight and he actually sent a congratulations to Ankalaev while adding that he used “beautiful pressure” to stifle Pereira and even if “most people don’t like it … you won the title for now.”

After Prochazka then suggested jumping right into a title shot for his next fight, Ankalaev responded by calling him a “terrible fighter” and a “fraud” and saying “so many guys deserve it more than you — you need to go win some fights.”

“I like all the people except him,” Prochazka said on the Ariel Helwani Show. “He is too much, [especially] his last tweet on me.”

Prochazka took offense to the message from Ankalaev but he was especially upset with the tone after he apparently ran into the Russian not that long ago and the meeting was nothing but cordial.

That apparently changed after Ankalaev became champion and now he’s definitely rubbed Prochazka the wrong way.

“He don’t know me, I don’t know him personally,” Prochazka said. “One thing what I can say to Ankalaev, he can think whatever he wants but I know that the only person who’s a fraud is him. Because when I met him at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, he was there, he was very nice, he was friendly [saying] ‘hello, nice to meet you, all good’ and right now he’s a superstar and a big gangster.

“Right now, he’s playing this game and he is hyped and I understand. He won the title against the worst performance [from] Alex Pereira. Only [fraudulent] person here is Magomed Ankalaev.”

As far as answering Ankalaev’s criticism, Prochazka is quick to point out that he’s built an impressive resume ever since arriving in the UFC with his only losses coming in a pair of fights against Pereira.

Outside of that Prochazka became UFC champion in just his third fight with the promotion while racking up an impressive six post-fight bonuses along the way.

“[I’m] the worst fighter? Every time, I’m giving everything to my fights,” Prochazka said. “Every time I’m going to finish my opponent and to give it all in my fights. Not like him.

“When he’s fighting, many times in the second or third round when it is a high performance, he is trying to a little bit run out from the performance, from the attacking, from the aggressive attacks. That gives me only one meaning. Only [fraudulent] person here is Magomed Ankalaev.”

It’s clear that Ankalaev’s words got under his skin but Prochazka promises he’s not all that upset as much as it’s just added more motivation to get that fight so he can take another shot at becoming a champion again.

Prochazka may not like Ankalaev very much but ultimately it’s the title around his waist that the 32-year-old veteran from the Czech Republic wants more than some war of words over the internet.

“I don’t care about this guy,” Prochazka said. “I just want to go and take a title. It doesn’t matter about him. Right now, he is the champion but I think nobody likes that and nobody respects that he is the champion.”

As far as his desire to run it back with Pereira again, which was Prochazka’s immediate suggestion after UFC 313 ended, he’s up for that as well but Ankalaev is his new priority for now.

“I don’t want to be stuck in some emotions like I want Alex in every way!” Prochazka said. “For me, I am OK. I know I will meet Alex a third time for 100 percent in light heavyweight, I’m sure. But right now, I will do whatever is necessary to catch Ankalaev.”