Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira Betting Preview: UFC 295
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JIRI PROCHAZKA VS ALEX PEREIRA FACTS
When is UFC 295? Saturday 11th November, 2023 - 00:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 295? Madison Square Garden, New York (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 295? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 295
What channel is UFC 295 on? TNT Sports 1
Where can I stream UFC 295? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
JIRI PROCHAZKA VS ALEX PEREIRA LOWDOWN
Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1) was creating fireworks long before stepping foot inside the octagon. He finally made his debut in 2020 and three fights later, he was the light heavyweight champion. He spectacularly knocked out Volkan Oezdemir (2020) and Dominick Reyes (2021) before meeting Glover Teixeira (2022). It was awarded ‘Fight of the Year’ and he ended up pulling off a shock submission on the Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard. The rematch was scheduled for UFC 282, but he suffered a horrendous shoulder dislocation in training and has only just recovered making the honourable decision to vacate the title in the meantime.
Alex Pereira (8-2) made his own rapid ascent to the middleweight title earning the crown in his fourth UFC fight and eighth MMA bout. He knocked out the imperious champion Israel Adesanya (2022) at UFC 281 but received a taste of his own medicine five months later in the rematch. This sparked an inevitable move up to light heavyweight where he took on the former champion Jan Blachowicz (2023). He earnt a split decision to earn this shot at the vacant title.
JIRI PROCHAZKA VS ALEX PEREIRA PREDICTION
This match-up is only worthy of a main event and is one of the most mouthwatering clashes the UFC could make. The former middleweight champion matches up very similarly physically to the former light heavyweight champion. He gives up an inch in reach but is an inch taller.
We can only hope that Prochazka’s shoulder is healthy. It was a catastrophic injury which will compromise his weaponry. Regardless of how well it has healed, this will be an incredibly intense battle.
Prochazka is very unorthodox and unpredictable whereas Pereira is more measured and will set up his favourite attacks i.e. the left hook. He also does not telegraph his leg kicks and we expect them to fire from the bell.
He can slow Prochazka down, but we expect Pereira to be patient and wait for his moments to counter. The Czech star absorbs 5.4 significant strikes per minute and he cannot afford to eat that many from Pereira and we are backing the Brazilian grow into the fight as he gains a read.
When you have this amount of skill and power on show, a knockout can fall either way, so go for the underdog, but this should be one to simply sit back and enjoy.
Prediction: Pereira via KO/TKO
Value bet: Prochazka via KO/TKO
