Procházka Responds To Accusations Of Being A “Fake Samurai”
UFC light heavyweight contender Jiří Procházka has responded to claims that his samurai philosophy is ‘fake sh*t’ from rival Aleksandar Rakić and others.
The pair of elite European 205lbers have gone back and forth since last year, with Rakić accusing Procházka of ducking him. Following the Czech’s main event knockout victory over Dominick Reyes last May, the Austrian expressed a desire to meet the relative newcomer in a title eliminator.
But having denied ever being offered a fight with “Rocket,” Procházka served as backup for the UFC 267 headliner last October, and has since awaited his shot at gold, set for this coming weekend at UFC 275.
Clearly not pleased with “Denisa” and his approach, Rakić has been extremely critical of the #2-ranked light heavyweight, even targeting his strict following of the Bushido code, which has left many dubbing him the “Czech Samurai.”
Procházka’s philosophy and approach to fighting has impressed many, not least the legendary Georges St-Pierre. The Canadian, who’s previously claimed to follow a similar samurai mindset, recently praised “Denisa” in an interview with MMA News’ own James Lynch, touting him as a future champion.
But Rakić is not so impressed with what he described as “fake samurai sh*t” in an interview with MMA Junkie last December.
“I don’t care about him and this fake samurai sh*t that he’s doing,” said Rakić.
Procházka: I Won’t Judge Rakić’s Ignorance
Despite being days out from his chance at championship glory in MMA’s premier promotion, the topic of Rakić remains one of the more prominent topics in discourse with the challenger. And during an interview with the New York Post, Procházka was given the chance to respond to the Austrian’s criticism of his mindset.
Perhaps perfectly embodying the Bushido spirit, the Czech knockout artist chose not to judge or slam Rakić. Instead, he explained why people like the #3-ranked light heavyweight don’t yet understand the benefits to his approach.
“These people, they just don’t realize so much, I think. It’s just, you have to be a long time [alone] just with yourself to understand these words that I’m saying,” said Procházka. “If you don’t challenge your fears, and all these things, you can’t understand it. And it’s all about that. I’m understanding that everybody [is] evolving, in some step [of] evolution. Nobody is perfect. That’s why I [don’t want] to judge that.”
This Saturday, Procházka will look to secure his place on the light heavyweight throne at an apt location, having spent many of his years fighting and training in Asia. In his way of title success will be veteran Glover Teixeira, who embodies a similarly respectful approach, something that the Brazilian believes should be more appreciated.
Whatever the result, it stands to reason that the calm and relaxed mindset of Procházka will eventually share the Octagon with the brash and outspoken nature of Rakić.
What do you make of Jiří Procházka’s response to Aleksandar Rakić?
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