Jiri Prochazka was caught in the crosshairs of a surging light heavyweight contender after Prochazka had been indicating interest in a trilogy bout with Alex Pereira. That combatant in question is Carlos Ulberg, who recently expressed some thoughts toward what Prochazka is working toward next as Ulberg spoke with MMA Junkie.

Following his emphatic finish of former multi-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes, Ulberg sits well-positioned in the title shot queue at 205 pounds. Prochazka also recently emerged with a big win over a former UFC light heavyweight title challenger in Khalil Rountree Jr., and the former champion does have a 0-2 history with Pereira, but in a way where Prochazka may be able to break through that ceiling, which generally exists when a contender has lost to a sitting champion twice.

Touching upon the light heavyweight title aspirations of Jiri Prochazka, who is eyeing his redemption against ‘Poatan’, while he indicates his own case for vying for the gold next, Ulberg said,

“He’s come off two losses from Pereira. So I don’t see a third happening there. He’s campaigning as much as he can because, you know, it’s the big fights that you want, but it’s my time now. He’s had his moments, which is great, and you gotta give credit where it’s due. But right now, it’s my time.”

Jiri Prochazka eyes becoming a two-time champion and aspires to something bigger thereafter

Jiri Prochazka is a former UFC light heavyweight champion in his own right and is clearly passionate about climbing that mountain again. The moment at UFC 320 where Alex Pereira captured gold from Magomed Ankalaev to become a two time champ at 205 pounds saw Prochazka cageside with tears in his eyes.

Seeing Pereira become a two-time champion seemed to inspire a certain surge of passion in him that threw gasoline on a flame that was already in Prochazka regarding wanting to become a two-time champion himself.

Curiously enough, though, Jiri Prochazka does have a bigger goal he is looking at down the line, which will vault him into rarefied air. During a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Prochazka intimated that he was intrigued by the idea of going down to 185 pounds in an attempt to claim the middleweight gold, but only after he captures the light heavyweight strap again.