UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has officially vacated his 205-pound title, the promotion confirmed last week, clearing the way for a new champion to be crowned at UFC 327 in Miami on April 11.
While no formal announcement has been made regarding Pereira’s next move, the prevailing expectation is that he will transition to the heavyweight division.
In the wake of the vacancy, former champion Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is set to face rising contender Carlos Ulberg (13-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) for the vacant belt in the UFC 327 main event.
Prochazka, who originally captured the light heavyweight title in 2022, relinquished the belt later that year due to a long-term shoulder injury. Since returning, he has had two opportunities to reclaim the championship but fell short both times against Pereira in 2023 and 2024.
Appearing this week on The Ariel Helwani Show, Prochazka addressed Pereira’s decision to vacate the title and said he was not caught off guard by the move.
“I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised,” Prochazka said. “I think it's like (a) gentleman (thing). Gentlemen think about when you go up (a weight class) - and he wants to go up - that it's normal to release the title.”
Although Prochazka understands the reasoning, he admitted he had hoped for a different scenario.
“Yeah, that's the thing what I hoped for,” Prochazka said when asked if he was disappointed not to face Pereira again. “(Of the) possible opponents for me, there were Ulberg or Pereira. I wanted just one of these two for a title fight, because I think other fighters don't deserve it, and I made enough to take back what's mine.”
Instead, Prochazka will attempt to regain the belt against Ulberg, one of the division’s fastest-rising contenders.
When asked whether winning the championship matters more than avenging past losses, Prochazka was clear in his priorities.
“That's right,” he said. “I think, I believe, sooner or later, Alex Pereira will come in my way.”
As for what motivates him most at this stage of his career, Prochazka emphasized performance over opponent.
“Right now, my dream scenario is to do the best fights, best performances, to be, to be proud of myself, to be proud of my victories and all the performances,” he said. “That's all my career. Only one rule, to do the best, do the best performance, do the best preparation. And I think it works.”
