Watch heartwarming welcome Jiri Prochazka gets on return to Czech Republic

Jiri Prochazka was greeted by thousands in his native Czech Republic after winning the title.

Jiri Prochazka was given a warm welcome by his native fans just days after winning the UFC light heavyweight title against Glover Teixeira. After trailing on two of the judges’ scorecards, Prochazka rallied with seconds left in the fight to secure a rear-naked-choke, capping off an electrifying comeback in front of a jubilated Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The win marked Prochazka’s third under the UFC banner, as he has defeated the likes of Dominick Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir in his first two Octagon appearances, becoming the first fighter since Brock Lesnar to win the belt that quickly. 13 years later, Prochaska joined that unofficial short run to a title shot club forever.

“Jiri Prochazka receives a Hero’s welcome in his hometown of Brno. He is the first UFC Champion from the Czech Republic in history,” Paradigm Sports, Prochazka’s management team, wrote on its Twitter account.

The tweet has gained worldwide attention, as Prochazka is seen celebrating with the belt overhead and fans loving every second of it. Since the tweet was shared, it has over 1,000 retweets and is nearing 9,300 likes at press time.

Jiri Prochazka begins a new era at 205 pounds

After three belt switches since Jon Jones left the division in 2020, Prochazka will look to forge his own path of dominance at 205 pounds. Though nothing is set in stone, Prochazka’s options could range from a rematch with Teixeira, a fight with Jan Błachowicz, or a mega-fight with Jones if he decides to move back down to his old weight class.

Regardless of what comes next, Prochazka will look to hold down the fort for the next several months and years to come. Only time will tell with what happens next, however.