Jiri Prochazka: how a Czech football hooligan became a UFC champion, via Japan
- Martial arts and ancient Japanese text ‘The Book of Five Rings’ inspired the Czech to turn from street fighting to cage fighting eight years ago
- ‘It was a part of my life and without that there would be no me like I am today,’ he says of his youth, spent with local ultras supporting FC Zbrojovka Brno
Jiri Prochazka was a football hooligan in his native Czech Republic until martial arts and an ancient Japanese text inspired him to turn from street fighting to cage fighting – and become a UFC world champion.
The Book of Five Rings was written in 1645 by the master Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, and when Prochazka was handed a copy about eight years ago he finally found the focus to “become a warrior” after a wildly misspent youth.
“You have to look into yourself, and you have to follow the rules – be honest, be brave, be calm in hard situations,” said the 29-year-old Prochazka, of what he has learned from the book and from the “Bushido” Samurai code of discipline that it encourages.
A battered Prochazka seemed on the verge of defeat by Teixeira, but somehow drew on reserves of strength to apply a rear-naked choke hold and force the Brazilian veteran into submission.