UFC 303 short notice ‘best-case scenario’ for Jiri Prochazka

Anthony Smith thinks the short-notice nature gives Jiri Prochazka the best chance to beat Alex Pereira at UFC 303.

Prochazka (30-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) challenges light heavyweight champion Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in a title fight rematch June 29 at T-Mobile Arena – a matchup that was put together after the original main event between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler was scrapped.

Prochazka was finished by Pereira in their November 2023 vacant title fight at UFC 295. Daniel Cormier thinks Prochazka needs more time to make necessary adjustments to dethrone Pereira, but Smith disagrees.

“I kind of disagree with you a little bit,” Smith said during a guest co-host appearance on ESPN’s “Good Guy/Bad Guy”. “I don’t know that more time helps Jiri Prochazka. I don’t know if he can change the things he needs to change to consistently beat Alex Pereira. He’s a wild man and if he changes that, he loses what’s great about his style and what makes him.”

Smith thinks Pereira is a bad matchup for Prochazka, hence why he also thinks catching a potentially unprepared Pereira gives him the highest chance of winning.

“Can he beat him? Absolutely,” Smith said. “Something crazy could happen and he could end up in the scramble. He could hurt him. It’s possible. I’m not saying this is an impossible task. I just don’t know that more time is going to help him any more than just going in and doing it right now.

“I think this is best-case scenario. Maybe Alex hasn’t been training his hardest, maybe his cardio isn’t where it needs to be. …Last time I seen Alex Pereira, he was an absolute monster. I think that’s (weight cut) the biggest fight he’s going to have that entire weekend.”

Smith (38-19 MMA, 13-9 UFC) will be stepping in on short notice himself when he replaces an injured Jamahal Hill against rising light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) also at UFC 303.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.