Jiri Prochazka Details Panic Attacks over never-Ending USADA Visits Ahead of UFC Return: ‘It was not good sleep’
Add Jiri Prochazka to the list of fighters who were elated to hear that the UFC’s eight-year-long relationship with the United States Anti-Doping Agency would be coming to an end in 2024.
On Saturday night, ‘Denisa’ returns to the Octagon for the first time in more than a year when he looks to reclaim the light heavyweight title he never lost. Standing in his way will be former middleweight champion Alex Pereira who hopes to add a second UFC strap to his resume when the two men clash for the vacant 205-pound crown at UFC 295.
If Prochazka wins, he will become just the third man the claim the light heavyweight title twice in his career, joining a very exclusive list that includes Randy Couture, and Jon ‘Bones Jones.
However, ‘Denisa’ already holds one record that he’s not particularly thrilled with; he is the most drug tested fighter in UFC history.
The USADA database shows that Prochazka was drug tested an incredible 64 times in 2022, more than double the numbers of every other athlete in the testing pool. Fortunately, things have settled a bit for Prochazka as he has only been tested nine times in 2023 thus far. Speaking with Ariel Helwani during Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, ‘Denisa’ admitted that the thought of USADA knocking his door still fills him with anxiety.
“In the Czech Republic, yes [almost always the same USADA people],” he said of the situation. “Yeah, I know them. One guy and one woman. Yeah [they’re nice].
“Sometimes it was like I woke up and [gasps] ‘Oh f*ck, today they will come, today they will come!” he added. “I need to be prepared for that. Because it was not good sleeping. It was not good sleeping, many times per week [makes blood drawing motion on arm] from injections, taking blood. Here in U.S. they just do, like, thumb, take the little blood, like a drop of it. But [in Czech] they took a lot of blood. Like one bottle of blood” (h/t MMA Mania).
Jiri Prochazka happy to be freed from the shackles of USADA
Earlier this year, USADA CEO Travis Tygart revealed that the anti-doping agency would no longer partner with the UFC come January 1. Instead, the promotion will opt for an in-house testing system run by George Piro, the ex-FBI special agent known for leading the Saddam Hussein interrogation in December 2003.
“Now, I am free,” Prochazka said with a smile. “Two more months and then another [drug testing agency].”
