Jan 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Jiri Prochazka (red gloves) reacts after an eye poke against Jamahal Hill (not pictured) during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

mma

Will Jiri Prochazka’s Back and Forth With Magomed Ankalaev Gain Him a Title Shot?

Jiri Prochazka and Magomed Ankalaev engage in a verbal battle on social media after the latter's victory at UFC 313!

The UFC light heavyweight weight class brings out fighting words almost as often as fighting fists. The division has changed hands multiple times in recent years. Champions have come and gone like seasonal weather. And now we have a fresh beef brewing between the newly crowned king Magomed Ankalaev and former champion Jiri Prochazka after UFC 313’s main event shakeup.

What started as an innocent congratulatory post has spiraled into a full blown rivalry. And no one is backing down from the verbal fight.

Also Read: Alex Pereira Loses One Title But Gains Another To Join Elite Company!

Fraud Accusations Go Back And Forth

Magomed Ankalaev didn’t wait long to start making enemies after capturing the light heavyweight title from Alex Pereira. The Dagestani fighter took aim at Jiri Prochazka on X.

“I think you are a fraud and so many guys deserve more than you. You need to go win some fights”

❗️ Jiri Prochazka defends Magomed Ankalaev’s performance and congratulates him on his title win

Ankalaev responds by calling him a “fraud” who “needs to go win some fights” pic.twitter.com/CEyev2VQ2U
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) March 9, 2025

These unexpected jabs came despite Prochazka’s recent impressive win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 311, which put him right back in title contention. Ankalaev’s comments seemed designed to dismiss a potential challenger while the ink on his championship contract was barely dry.

Prochazka wasn’t about to let these comments slide. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former champion fired back with unexpected details about their previous encounter.

“I know the only person who is a fraud is him because when I met him in the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, he was there, he was very nice, he was friendly, ‘hello, nice to meet you, all good’ and right now, he’s a superstar and a big gangster and right now he’s playing this game and he’s hyped.”

Jiri Prochazka: Only fraud person here is Magomed Ankalaev.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/i2ksPuQFW1
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) March 10, 2025

The samurai-styled fighter painted Ankalaev as two-faced. He suggested that the champion acts differently behind closed doors than he does in public. It’s the kind of revelation that makes you wonder how many other fighter relationships flip when the cameras turn on.

Prochazka And Ankalaev Keep At It

Prochazka didn’t stop at calling out Ankalaev’s character inconsistencies. He went for the jugular by claiming nobody in the division respects the new champion. He criticized his fighting style and urged him to sign the contract.

“Right now, Magomed Ankalaev is the champion. But nobody likes that. Nobody respects him as the champion. Let’s meet in the Octagon”

Magomed Ankalaev, not one to back down, took aim at the former champion. He retorted that Alex Pereira, who knocked out Prochazka twice, couldn’t handle him for five rounds.

“Alex sent this guy to the hospital twice. Made him sleep. He should not talk or do any interviews. Quiet. Alex is next. Do what you want, I don’t care.” said Ankalaev via X.

Alex send this guy to the hospital 2 time make him sleep. He should not talk or do any interviews quite Alex is next or whatever do you want? I don’t care.
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) March 10, 2025

While UFC CEO Dana White has hinted that an immediate rematch with Pereira might be next for Ankalaev, this rapidly intensifying feud with Prochazka could change those plans. The trash talk has already accomplished what the UFC loves most; creating genuine bad blood that fans will pay to see settled.

With both fighters coming off wins and clearly disliking each other, this rivalry has all the ingredients to become the light heavyweight division’s next big money fight. The only question is whether the UFC will strike while the iron is hot or let this simmer until the potential payday grows even larger!

(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)

Jiri Prochazka

Magomed Ankalaev

UFC 313

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!