Is Jiri Prochazka a top ten LHW?

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cookdaddy

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Jiri is 17-1-1 over his last 19 fights, only losing to top 15 LHW King Mo. Also has 22 finishes in 23 wins, which is insane for LHWs.

Is Jiri a top ten light heavy? Or would he struggle against the elite, especially when he always seems to put himself in horrible positions? How would he do against a guy like Anthony Smith?
 
He's close to the top 10 and would be competitive with several top 10 guys in the UFC. But, he certainly didn't help himself with that "Hello Japan" performance against Halsey.
 
EndlessCritic said:
He's close to the top 10 and would be competitive with several top 10 guys in the UFC. But, he certainly didn't help himself with that "Hello Japan" performance against Halsey.
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What was with that anyway? Seems like he always gets into a horrible position in most of his fights, either because he's way too aggressive at times or he makes silly mistakes.
 
I haven't been sold by his last few performances, but I guess I'm not sold on a lot of top 10 LHW's.
 
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I could see him smashing Anthony Smith with ease, but I'm also not sold on Smith being a top LHW. He capitalized on some good matchups against past their prime guys (Shogun) and others who aren't really all that great (Volkan).

Jiri is definitely in the conversation for top 10. I'd favor him against most of the UFC top 10 (he'd get trouble from Jones, DC, Gus, Reyes). He would be top five in Bellator (only getting trouble from Bader, Davis, Nemkov). Narkun and N Sang are out there in the world, and I think he matches up well with them, and I'd consider them in the same spot that Jiri is in, at this point.

If we are basing talent level solely on what we see in fights (not who beat who) Jiri is surely a top 10 talent. He needs some work to be a true elite. I think at this point, like was brought up in the OP, he's too hittable. He needs work on his defense, big time. But he seems to have everything else he needs to stake a claim in the top 10. Great recovery, great standup, and ability to get out of shitty situations.

While a HW fight, if we finally get to see him against uber-Crocop v5.6, that will actually give us a lot of insight into exactly where Jiri stands as a fighter.
 
Jiri is awesome, always loses until he wins. The total opposite of Scoggins and Cruickshank.
 
i say he would lose against some one like el capone. his takedown defense and grappling suck big time. he is also too wild.
 
That performance against Halsey was terrible, not something you want to see from a prospect, Jiri is a madman and some day it will cost him fights, but he's incredibly fun to watch, that's for sure. His defensive grappling and TDD are his weakness, also goes too often for jumping knees, what is dangerous.
I'd still rank him at the top 15 worldwide, not sure if top 10. I don't think so, right now. Potential is clearly there though.
Bobby Boulders said:
N Sang
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That guy is a middleweight, he fights at 205 because ONE's middlweight division is 205.
Papachulu said:
i say he would lose against some one like el capone. his takedown defense and grappling suck big time. he is also too wild.
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Nah, Krylov's grappling isn't that good either, not sure how people can't see that after Blachowicz totally exposed him on the ground.
 
executionermma said:
That performance against Halsey was terrible, not something you want to see from a prospect, Jiri is a madman and some day it will cost him fights, but he's incredibly fun to watch, that's for sure. His defensive grappling and TDD are his weakness, also goes too often for jumping knees, what is dangerous.
I'd still rank him at the top 15 worldwide, not sure if top 10. I don't think so, right now. Potential is clearly there though.
That guy is a middleweight, he fights at 205 because ONE's middlweight division is 205.
Nah, Krylov's grappling isn't that good either, not sure how people can't see that after Blachowicz totally exposed him on the ground.
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He subbed a 240lb. monster though. We not gonna give him credit? He has been known to take out bigger fighters, I think he's fine at 205 anywhere in the world.
 
Bobby Boulders said:
He subbed a 240lb. monster though. We not gonna give him credit? He has been known to take out bigger fighters, I think he's fine at 205 anywhere in the world.
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he subbed a bodybuilder with no gas tank, nah i'm not giving him any credit, he has only 1 decent win over a LHW
 
executionermma said:
he subbed a bodybuilder with no gas tank, nah i'm not giving him any credit, he has only 1 decent win over a LHW
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Fair enough. I think he molly wops Smith, and most of the UFC LHW division. The weight class just isn't very good, which is why I'd consider him one of the better fighters in that weight class.
 
He's top 8 IMO

he took out Nemkov who took out Davis, Nemkov is top 5
 
Jiri has looked really good in RIZIN. I would put him top 10 overall for sure. Probably even better than that.
 
executionermma said:
since then i think it's safe to say Nemkov improved much more, i'd go with Nemkov in a rematch and i'm a big fan of Jiri
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Yeah Nemkov is better right now, he fixed his cardio and is fighting better competition
 
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huge fan of Jiri but he has some work to do before i consider him a top 10 lhw. he certainly has the toolset but he needs to work on his obviously flawed takedown defence and he needs to stop making stupid mistakes like he did in his last fight.

Bellator should sign him asap because i want to see him compete against better competition at this point to see where he is at.
 
executionermma said:
That performance against Halsey was terrible, not something you want to see from a prospect,
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I 100% agree
I was expecting a better performance considering Halsey's average striking

I don't think he would be top 10
 
Record-wise, sure. But he makes too many mistakes in fights to ever be able to beat more than 1 real Top-10 fighter.
 
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