How has Jiri Prochazka's life changed since you put the champion's belt around your waist?
"Perhaps only in the fact that I have more media duties and people recognize me even more on the street. But for me personally, it hasn't changed that much - if you're aiming for the biggest success and trying to be the world's number one in something, you need to think of yourself that way even before you achieve it."
Do you enjoy the increased media attention or do you sometimes need to keep yourself closed off?
"When you're preparing for a fight, you need to keep your head clear of everything else. At the moment I'm happy to do my media duties, but my priority is still to get my training done. Everything else has to bend around that."
How did you enjoy the celebration on the square in Brno after winning the title? A few years ago, you probably wouldn't have expected tens of thousands of people to come and applaud an MMA fighter...
"A few years ago, probably not. But now, when I see how MMA in the Czech Republic is developing and moving forward, I'm not surprised that so many people came to celebrate the biggest milestone you can reach in it. It was great and I believe these events will happen more and more because I intend to defend the title and achieve greater success."
When you make it to the ultimate success of your sport, is it then harder to find the motivation to keep working hard or the humility and the knowledge that it won't last forever?
"Both. Humility towards the goal and everything that happens around it is always needed. Everyone either has the motivation within themselves and just takes it and clearly defines it, or they have to look for it somewhere. When I became a champion, I accomplished such a big goal that I thought a little bit about the next motivation. But the love for my sport fulfils me so much that it didn't take long to define my next goal."
Is that goal more title defences, or are you heading for something else?
"Simple - I always wanted to be the best fighter in the world. Everyone can imagine what that means because winning a championship belt in one division doesn't mean you're the best in the world. This is a goal that was in my head all along, but it wasn't until after this big event that I was able to name it exactly."
Ironically, you were quite critical of your performance against Glover Teixeira. What did you take from the fight and what have you changed since?
"The criticism was appropriate because the match didn't go, according to my criteria, as it should have. One of the things that needs to change is wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I need to work on that and be a more complete fighter. So that I don't just have one advantage, that I'm dangerous in the standup and not so great on the ground. I'd like to get to that level where I'm dominant and most dangerous in all positions."
The rematch with Glover is the first stop on your championship journey?
"It looks like it. We can't agree on a place with the UFC right now. I refused to fight in Rio de Janeiro because I think it's not smart to defend the belt on the challenger's home turf. The Czech Republic is out of the question for now. So we're trying to negotiate a place in the USA. Personally, I'd like to make the fight this year, we'll see how it goes."
Since you've been champion, you've been approached by quite a few potential challengers. How do you respond to them, do you have to filter what to answer and what to ignore?
"I pick and choose which of those are valid challenges. There are two right now - Glover and Jan Blachowicz. You can talk about those as title challengers. Glover and I have agreed that I'm going to go for a rematch, and in that case, I'm not paying attention to all the other voices."
Magomed Ankalaev, who is riding a four-year win streak, or Jamahal Hill, who has won his last three fights by KO and taken the performance or fight of the night bonus each time, also spoke about challenging you.
"I'm not denying their quality. But you have to keep waiting, keep winning. My next challenger is determined and only after that can I look forward."
You mentioned UFC in Prague. It's been three years since MMA's most famous organization showed up here, with the aforementioned Jan Blachowicz in the main event. Would you be tempted to defend your title in the main fight of the next Prague event, possibly against him?
"It's definitely one of the goals. It would be a satisfaction for the Czech nation to bring it here and organize a big fight in Prague. I'm curious to see how it goes. But right now the main thing for me is to focus on the challenges I have here and now, then we can talk about the possible return of the UFC to the Czech Republic. Until it's right on the table, I don't want to think about it."
Stepping out of the UFC a bit - would you be tempted by an exhibition eventually? In MMA, boxing... How do you feel about them? There's usually a pretty big payday for those fights, but many say they are an embarrassment to the sport.
"There are two sides to it. Conor McGregor fighting Floyd Mayweather or Jake Paul's boxing matches are 'show fights' but those guys put on solid performances there. It's not anything too bizarre compared to when YouTubers fight each other or whatever else is going on. I don't want to pay much attention to those fights. That's about the business aspect of the promoters and a little bit about the stupidity of the people going into it. They might excite the fans who are looking for entertainment, but they're usually there to showcase something that has nothing to do with fighting. It's not worthy of being called a real fight. When you step into the cage, it's all about the fight itself, not about being flashy for the cameras."
Taking it even further - do you wonder what will happen when your MMA career is over? Retirement starts fairly early for athletes, with a few exceptions...
"We've already started taking steps with the team. There's a proposal on the table for something we can call the BJP Institute or the BJP Academy, it doesn't have a specific name yet. I would like to provide complex support to the fighters there with my team. In all aspects - fitness, health, psychological hygiene, preparation, accommodation, food, recovery... we want to bring it all together in one facility and make a first-class training centre."
So one of your goals is a place that will raise the next Jiri Prochazka for the UFC.
"Exactly. Like American Top Team or the UFC Performance Institute. To have everything under one roof and bring people the essentials about training and all the things that are involved in combat sports. Just give it a little different vibe. Not like we've been doing, coming to training and 'training something.' I want to know what I'm training, why I'm doing it, what I can do to get better, what specific things I need to improve. When you start doing this from amateurs to pros, not only do you get better fighters and athletes performing at a different level, but you get better people. Martial arts shape people."
