“We all know he works with shamans back home. He believes in spiritual help from shamans. I do too, but I don't believe in magic, I believe in the best human performance in the here and now,” Prochazka told reporters ahead of their rematch at UFC 303 on Saturday.
“Now, this is my challenge to him: Can we fight this in a clear way … without any resistance?”
Pereira, who has 10 professional mixed martial arts wins, eight of which have come by knockout, dismissed Prochazka's comments during his pre-fight press conference on Thursday.
“I believe everyone has a soul. We don't just live in our bodies. It's not my fault if he hasn't found his soul yet,” he said.
Pre-fight rituals are not uncommon for UFC fighters: former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz famously discovered a man's body in the woods after hanging, and touched the rope the man had used for good luck.
Conor McGregor, who was scheduled to fight Michael Chandler on Saturday but withdrew due to injury, has been known to pack his grandfather's hat in his bag before fights, but Brandon Vera has done so twice.
“This isn't a question of what I believe,” Prochaska said. “I'm 100 percent confident.”
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Disclaimer: This report has been auto-generated from Reuters news service. ThePrint does not assume any responsibility for its content.
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