Long revered as one of the sport’s most violent and entertaining performances, Jiri Prochazka now has some tangible hardware to go along with the cult following.
Prochazka—who celebrates his 30th birthday on Oct. 14—moved into another competitive tax bracket in June, when he submitted Glover Teixeira with a rear-naked choke in the fifth round of their UFC 275 headliner and laid claim to the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title. The emotionally charged victory improved “Denisa” to 29-3-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 inside the Octagon. Prochazka has now delivered 28 of his 29 professional wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission—a staggering 97% finish rate.