Despite how violent mixed martial arts (MMA) may be conceived from the outside, the truth is that both inside and outside the cage, its practitioners demonstrate time and time again the great values in sport. In this case, the protagonist was the former champion Jiří Procházka. Ashly McGarity was diagnosed with cervical cancer. In the process of losing his hair, he published a photograph on social media imitating the Czech’s characteristic bob cut. The story reached Procházka and, shocked, he joined the cause.
Before the UFC 311 press conference, an event in which he will face Jamahal Hill, the fighter shaved his head in order to convey the message to the audience. “Inspired by Ashley, I wanted to show my solidarity with her and with all cancer patients by getting this haircut,” said Jiří Procházka on his social networks. But the gesture did not stop there. He promised to take the fan on a plane for the evening and donated 50,000 dollars to the ‘BJP’ foundation to support patients fighting cancer.
The cheers at the press conference did not wait when hearing the fighter’s words. Given this, the president of the UFC, Dana White, also wanted to support the cause and assured to match Procházka’s figure. This is not the first time that the top leader of the UFC has made a gesture of solidarity. A few months ago, following Hurricane ‘Helene’ that hit the United States, Dana donated $100,000 for the cause.
For his part, Jiří Procházka has undergone a drastic evolution. In the past it was a ‘hooligan‘who was constantly looking for fights. However, after reading the story of the samurai Miyamoto Musashi he changed drastically. He went on to champion the values of respect and the code of honor of the samurai. That led him to constant discipline, which dragged him to the point of making voluntary withdrawals. no food, drink or electronic devices. Despite the implausibility of his story, this model has led him to become a UFC champion.
With only three fights in the company he achieved it, but a severe injury forced him to vacate the belt. However, he could not get his hands on it again, as he was defeated, on two occasions, by Alex Pereira. Now, he will look for a new opportunity to fight for gold by beating another former light heavyweight champion, Jamahal Hill. The latter was also defeated by the Brazilian, which is why the tension of the fight is maximum.
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