Transcript of "Let's Fight" l Michael Bisping and Paul Felder Talk To Jiri Prochazka about his fight at UFC 311

There he is.

Mama, how are we doing champ?

Sorry for a delay, but I had a training, so... Of course.

Well, thank you for your time, Yuri. I really appreciate it. I know you got a massive fight coming up next week. Jamal Hill, what do you think about this fight? Obviously, he's upsetting a lot of people online at the moment. You guys have a similar opponent with Alex Pereira. You both fought him last. What do you think about this matchup? How do you feel about Jamal in general?

In general, I think he's a guy who can catch the people with the punches. With Glover, he showed very good cardio and very good endurance in a fight, how to catch the opponent and how to endure till the fifth round. But like I said, there is a few things when I see the space, how to catch him. And also he said the same. So I think this fight will be how we handle that here. Yeah, that will be about that. Yeah.

Yuri, in terms of how Jamal still seems to be mentally really focused and so concerned about the Alex Pareda fight, how How does that make you feel as his opponent? Do you feel at all that you're being disrespected or overlooked when he's still going up to Alex in the PI and starting drama? How do you take all that?

I don't care about that, really. I don't care about that. Like today's morning training, I had a strength training here in PI, and Jamal had two in In the same room. We had a same strength training, but I don't care what he's doing, what he's saying right now, because I don't know him personally. I really don't care what he's doing, how is his preparation looking. I just want to see him in a fight day and show my best performance to be strongest mentally, physically on on the waiting and in a fight day. That's all what I want. No other focus for any other things. That's it.

None of that other bullshit is important at the end of the day, let's be honest. Let me ask you a question, Yuri. You walk up to Alex Pereira in a gym, you're talking to him. He throws a pair of gloves at your feet. What do you do?

Let's fight.

Yuri, you're a very interesting, awesome martial artist of a guy, and you've always intrigued a lot of fans with some of the stuff that you do outside of the octagon, whether it be meditation, whether it be physical things that you challenge yourself just to prove your mental toughness to yourself to get ready. Is there been anything interesting or unique that you've done in this camp in preparation for Jamal Hill, something that would be fun for the fans that like to follow your journey?

I don't want to speak about what I did have to do to make this camp successful. But what I want to say, everybody knows that I had a camp in Japan, beautiful camp, amazing camp, visiting beautiful places, trained with big masters, the biggest masters of karate, made a black belt in Kyukushin Karate, visited the beautiful places and trained on the really strong places in Japan. Then in Mexico City, climb the popocata, the mountain, the volcano. Then another one, So there is a many things what I did, but this is all a part of the preparation, what I have to do, because this is about that one thing. This is about to be the strongest man. It's really simple. If you know the principle of how to get the true power from the nature, from the people, from your opponent, from experiences, then you just have to challenge yourself everywhere. Sometimes it's really stupid. Sometimes it's really weird. Tired. Sometimes it's really numb. But this is all about. This is all about because we choose that to be the fighters, to be the strongest persons on this planet. So this is all about.

See, this is why I love talking to you, Yuri, and this is why I truly believe you are unique in this sport. Of course, we're all martial artists. We train in martial arts. We do wrestling and jiu-jitsu, and kickboxing and things like that. But I feel like a lot of people do the physical side of martial arts, but they don't go down the same spiritual journey, that side of martial arts, like you do. Do you feel like a lot of the UFC roster and a lot of fighters all around the world, because mixed martial arts as a sport is very big. Do you feel there is a little bit lacking on the spiritual side?

The spiritual side is the same like the personal side of the life of each other, person because the spiritual thing is nothing else, just our inner state of our mind, of how we can embrace our inner space. This is what it's about. For me, right now, I was there so long, so I totally forgot to be a normal man, to have a girl, to have a child. Because this is the thing for me right now, what is really on the place, on the Right now, most important. Because if you want to be a strong guy, you have to be not just in one part, this really strong guy, a strong man, but you have to evolve in every part. To be a good person, to be a spiritual man, to be a physically good man, to be a mentally strong man. And the will make you really strong. If you ask for the strength, for a discipline, the God will give you these opportunities to prove you how discipline can you be in the hardest moments.

What's more What's important to you, Jury, is it... Because a lot of people, they go on this journey for money, right? But what's important to you? I feel like it's different for you. Is it about being the best martial artist? Is it about being the champion or is it about securing financial freedom? What's more important to you?

These values, what we fighting for is for every fighter different. Some guys, the money is really important for them because they feel like they need to make a money to give them for your family, for the family. I can't speak for for another people. But for me, they have to be, and it's necessary on the first place, the God. Everyone can choose whatever, what is for him the most important? What is the God for him? What is What is the most important? Where to give the focus? If you have to fight till death, till the victory, and I have to say, to give whatever to take a win, sacrifice. This is the right moment. If you have to sacrifice whatever, if you have to sacrifice your sofa what? For money, for victory, for me is a simple. This is the God. And behind the The word God, every spiritual learn will show you the behind the word God, there is the word I, every one of each us. We are looking for the truest, the strongest ourselves. That's all. We We have to sacrifice ourselves to find ourselves in the purest form. That's some big words, Jire.

No money, there is no There's no prize for that. There is no such a big thing, what you can give to win yourself in the purest form. That's all.

I love it. I don't know about you, Paul, but I could speak to you all day, Yuri, because you're a very, very deep thinker. You're a unique guy. Let me ask, what makes you smile? Because you're very intense.

What makes you smile? I'm not telling you that because I want to be interested or I want to be... This is the... No, I know. I'm just honest. This is just honest. And that's why people love to watch the sport, Because the sports, every sportman, every athlete, and especially the fighters who's fighting, who have to show the truest form of themselves, the strongest form of themselves. This is the purest form of our self, and we have to show this to the world because this world is a little bit We're crazy.

My man, you're messing with us, Jury. You froze up for the longest time, brother.

Sorry. Sorry. Catching the signal.

No, no, no. Do not be sorry.

Here is the best signal.

Yeah. No, no. Thank you. Don't be sorry, you're it. We really, really appreciate your time. Where were we? What were we talking about? You were talking about God and behind every meaning of God, there's an I and all the rest of it. And it was very deep stuff. And just while you jumped off, I was saying to Paul, we've got to remember that English is not even your first language. And I would love to speak to you in your native language because I'm sure there's a lot more to it. But what makes you smile, Yuri? What puts a smile on that face? What makes you happy?

Man, right now, I'm in a part of life in a cycle of life where I don't care what makes me happy. I don't care what's about the material things, what was the best and who's the best, who's around me. I just know I need to work. I need to I need to hard work and I need to overcome myself and show the best performance to the world, to myself, to the world, and to be the best version of myself because this is what I really want inside myself, and that make me smile.

And Yuri, you have a very fun style a very unique style. We were talking about it earlier before you came on, and you're a guy, you talk about going to Japan, you talk about going to Mexico City and seeking out all these places and training in the environment that you feel you almost gained some energy from. We hear a lot of martial artists nowadays talk about this team and that team, but you seem to be a guy that has your own schedule, do your own thing. Is that true? Are there people that you always keep around you when you're training, or does it change depending on where you're at and who you're seeking out for that particular fight?

So the question is...

So I'm asking, do you have the same group of people around you all the time, or does that change from camp to camp?

No, for me, it's necessary to keep not the same people, but to evolve with these same people, to show them that I'm on another level and show me the same. You can go with me. Sometimes the coaches, sometimes the partners, somebody leaves, somebody's come new. But in the basic, there is still the same people. And I really like to go together, step by step, evolve in a training like a person, like a friend, like professional sparring partners. So first, I was with coaches. They showed me the way how to be a man. Right now, it's more about to be partners, to be good friends, to show where is the small spaces where you can be better in the fighting. I believe them because they have a lot of experiences, not just life experiences, but from fighting, especially from fighting. That's why I like to be with the same people. Still, going to the camps, go to the camps, find a new experience, fight a new sparring partners, but going back to the same team who made me to be a world champion and to work with them to be better and better. Me, them, everybody.

Excellent. Let me ask you about Alex Pereira. You've been a champion. You've got respect all over the world. If you watch the sport, everybody knows Yuri Proashka. Everybody knows what you're capable of. They know how good you are. You were a champion. You fought Alex Pereira, and you fought him twice. I know, or I think I know, what competitor you are. Does Alex Pereira fuel you and motivate you to get better? And is he the ultimate boss? You know what I mean? That's the final guy. There he is. In a video game, the final boss. I'm going to get him. I'm going to get him eventually. I'm going to beat this game. I'm going to get Alex Pereira. Is that the whole mission for you or am I wrong?

It can be funny for somebody, but But still, I believe I can fight them and I can win the fight. It's like in the game, just don't give up. Just don't give up. Find a way how to overcome yourself, how to be a better person, how to be a better fighter, and find a way how to win, how to win this level. That's all. Like you said, yes, I'm really glad that he showed me biggest mistakes because I'm all the time speaking about the best mastermind and all these things. And he just showed that. He really showed that. And he really showed that in the fight, in the technique. He ride away to catch me. So, yeah, that was for me, the biggest lesson, one of the biggest lesson in my life. Right now, I'm in a part of life where I have no other chance. That is the answer when you ask me, what make you smile right now? For me right now, make me smile to understand why all these happens, where was the mistakes, what not repeat, and what to do to be a better person and better fighter to overcome this level.

Well, Jiri, what you've achieved so far has been incredible. So be proud of yourself because it took me a very a very long time. I lost fights, I won fights, I lost fights, I won fights. You don't give up. We're always evolving, we're always learning, we're always improving as martial artists. What you've achieved so far is incredible. Good luck at UFC 311. It's going to be an incredible contest. I'm very, You're very excited for it. You're one of my favorites, Yuri. I mean that. I am a huge fan. I love everything about you. I love the way you operate. I love the violence that you bring. I love the awareness to martial arts that you bring. I love the fact that you're a fine Samurai, and I mean that with so much respect, and I mean that. So thank you for your time. Us, my man, let's go.

Thanks, Yuri. You're the man.

Thank you, Yuri. He's gone. No, but I mean everything I said. He's so unique and original, and I love that.

I love it, too. And that is somebody that grew up in traditional martial arts and followed the traditional ways of everything, the mental approach, all that doing knuckle push-ups on boards, getting in trouble by my sense, if I talk back to my mom or my dad around them. So I always appreciate another guy that has that, but even more than I ever did. I appreciate it as well.