Demetrious Johnson has weighed in on Jiri Prochazka’s knockout loss to Carlos Ulberg in their vacant light heavyweight title fight at UFC 327.
Prochazka was stopped by Ulberg via first-round left hook on Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami, with Ulberg claiming the light heavyweight title in the process. Prochazka later said he regretted showing Ulberg mercy after Ulberg injured his knee and pulling back on leg kicks before being knocked down.
On his YouTube channel, Johnson focused on Prochazka’s defensive style. “This is a lesson that I always say: Those athletes out there who keep their hands down when they fight – Bobby Green, Jiri Prochazka – when you have your hands down, if a guy goes wham and you can't block everything,” Johnson said.
Johnson pointed directly to the finishing blow from Ulberg. “That's a shot that just caught Jiri Prochazka at the very edge on the chin and drops him, and now we have a new light heavyweight champion of the world with Carlos Ulberg. I think he's never going to break that habit of keeping his hands down fighting that way. I feel absolutely gutted for him.”
Prochazka entered UFC 327 with a 32-6-1 MMA record and 6-3 mark in the UFC, while Ulberg came in at 14-1 in MMA and 10-1 in the UFC.
