Jiri Prochazka was not impressed by Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282.
Prochazka relinquished his light heavyweight title due to a severe shoulder injury, leaving Blachowicz (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) and Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) to battle out for the vacant belt earlier this month at T-Mobile Arena.
After five rounds of action, their fight was ruled a split draw, leaving the 205-pound title with no owner. Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) thinks both fighters should have given a better performance considering the implications.
“They had to show, I think, a better fight, because it was a title fight,” Prochazka told CBS Sports. “And for the title fight, doesn’t matter if it’s title fight, but in every fight, you have to give their 200 percent, and they showed just half of that. And that looks like they are not the right challengers for a title.”
Before vacating his title, Prochazka became champion by submitting Glover Teixeira last minute in a Fight of the Year contender at UFC 275. He thought Ankalaev edged out Blachowicz but sees a draw as a fair score.
“I think Ankalaev won but just by a little bit on the points, but it was so close,” Prochazka said. “So I think the fight being a draw is OK, but if you’re fighting for a title, you have to show something special. You have to show everything, yeah, to give in the fight, everything. That’s my opinion.”
With the anticlimactic ending, the promotion decided to move on by booking former champ Glover Teixeira against Jamahal Hill for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 283 on Jan. 21 in Rio de Janeiro.