“I want to show the world what China has to offer, and I believe I need to prove my worth,” said the Chinese powerhouse Zhang Mingyang at the Road to UFC post-fight press conference back in 2022. And he certainly backed up his words. Since his Road to UFC days, the Chinese hotshot has remained undefeated. And, with his latest victory against Anthony Smith, he showcased nothing short of a masterclass. ‘Lionheart’ had hoped to cap off his storied career with a victory, but it wasn’t meant to be. In a brutal first-round finish, the ‘Mountain Tiger’ left Smith bloodied, ultimately ending his decade-long career. Now, with Smith behind him, Mingyang has set his sights on Jiri Prochazka.
Mingyan came all guns blazing against Anthony Smith as he was pretty aggressive from the very first minute. Swinging powerful strikes and quickly forcing Smith to adopt a counter strategy, the Chinese were successful in rattling the former light-heavyweight title challenger. ‘Lionheart’ did manage to throw some solid step-in elbows, but ‘Mountain Tiger’ retaliated with precision, delivering a brutal cut to Smith’s forehead. Seeing the blood flow, Mingyang intensified his attack.
Witnessing such a massacre until referee Jason Herzog stepped in, halting the fight and awarding Mingyang a victory by technical knockout. It was mayhem for Mingyang, and he certainly delivered. As he cemented his status as one of the best in the light-heavyweight division, Mingyang stated, “If you don’t know, now you know,” during the Octagon interview. That’s not all, the Chinese superstar now wants to test his skills against former light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka.
According to MMA Content Creator, ‘Krazy Kev,’ Mingyang issued a callout to Jiri Prochzaka after the fight. Sharing a photo of them, he captioned it, “Mingyang Zhang calls out Jiri Prochazka after his #UFCKansasCity Victory via Full Send MMA.” Coming off a victory over Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka is aiming to settle the score in a trilogy fight against Alex Pereira, but with Mingyang’s callout, things have taken a different turn for him.
FIGHTER CALLOUT
Mingyang Zhang calls out Jiri Prochazka after his #UFCKansasCity Victory via Full Send MMA
Who Wins This Matchup if Booked pic.twitter.com/iEg63aWmlY
— Kevin (@realkevink) April 27, 2025
While Jiří Procházka has called for a fight against Alex Pereira, the UFC will most likely book him in a rematch against Magomed Ankalaev, leaving room for Procházka to face Mingyang instead. Well, is Prochazka ready to take on Mingyang, with whom UFC booked his fight? Well, let’s have a look at what his training partner says about that.
Andrej Kalasnik explains what it’s like to spar with Jiri Prochazka
With a career record of 31 victories and only 5 defeats, Jiri Prochazka is one of the best light heavyweights on the face of the globe right now. Being the former Rizin as well as UFC champion, Prochazka knows how to handle his opponents well. His training partner Andrej Kalasnik has come forward to explain what it’s like to be in the Octagon with the former light-heavyweight champion.
“You try just to stay alive in the spar. You try to stay alive, because he’s hunting for you every time. Even [though] in sparring, you try to go a little less, but he’s a machine. He’s crazy. So sometimes I have some broken stuff, some broken bones after sparring with him, but he’s such a nice guy. He’s such a nice guy,” said Kalasnik.
When asked why he respects Jiri Prochazka so much, Kalasnik said, “he doesn’t make some sh*tty trash talk,” and “if you call him, he’s ready to help. He’s one of the biggest motivations for me, because I know him personally, so he motivates me a lot.” Jiri Prochazka is known to send his opponents into the shadow realm, and with Mingyang shooting the hornet nest, what do you think will happen next? State your opinion in the comments below.
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