“I Will Win or I Will Not Surface” Jiri Prochazka Explains Ice Swim Training Ahead of UFC 320 “The essence of loss.”
Jiri Procházka will face Khalil Rountree Jr. in the featured light heavyweight bout at UFC 320 on October 4, 2025, in Las Vegas. This contest follows Procházka’s decisive victory over Jamahal Hill at UFC 311, positioning the former champion as an immediate threat in the division.
How Ice Swimming Fuels Jiri Prochazka’s UFC 320 Training
Procházka has embraced unconventional training methods throughout his career. His most recent video shows him diving beneath the ice of a frozen lake and swimming 30 meters under the surface. He undertook the exercise to test his limits and deepen his mental focus.
“When I first went under the ice, I realized how dangerous it could be. It was pitch black, and I thought, ‘This isn’t a game; you must be fully committed or you could die,’” he explained. “I approached it like a fight: I will win or I will not surface.”
Cold-water immersion and ice swimming have been studied for their effects on athletic performance. Research indicates that exposure to water temperatures at or below 50 F (10 C) constricts blood vessels, reducing inflammation and muscle soreness after intense exercise. This process can accelerate recovery by limiting exercise-induced muscle damage and decreasing levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. Athletes typically start with brief sessions of 30 – 60 seconds and gradually extend exposure up to 10 minutes as tolerance improves.
Endurance and combat sport athletes have adopted ice baths and cold plunges to manage recovery and maintain training intensity. Cold-water immersion has been shown to alleviate delayed onset muscle soreness and improve subjective measures of perceived exertion post-exercise.
Beyond physical benefits, cold-water training builds mental resilience. Olympic-level competitors often cite the meditative focus required when facing frigid conditions and the endorphin release that follows immersion. Procházka described this aspect as essential to his approach:
“When you face the essence of loss or death in training, you learn to value life and sharpen your mind. Climbing mountains, swimming under ice, and meditating in nature improve my mindset and help me become a better fighter.”
As Procházka prepares for UFC 320, ice swimming serves as both a recovery tool and a psychological crucible. By confronting the risks of hypothermia and blackness beneath the surface, he cultivates a mindset attuned to overcoming fear and pushing beyond conventional boundaries.
