Despite understanding Jamahal Hill‘s decision to vacate the light heavyweight title due to injury, MMA fighter Jiri Prochazka is setting his sights on reclaiming the title, which he vacated due to his own injury, once he returns to the octagon.
Jiri Prochazka has expressed empathy for Jamahal Hill’s situation, but his focus is honing in on the vacated light heavyweight title once more. The turmoil in the division started in December when Prochazka sustained a shoulder injury that forced him out of his scheduled title defense against Glover Teixeira at UFC 282. This led him to give up the title, which Hill later secured with a triumph over Teixeira at UFC 283. However, Hill recently revealed that a ruptured Achilles tendon caused him to surrender the title.
Prochazka, who is preparing to return to the octagon, responded to Hill’s news on social media. His message read, “@JamahalH Man, I’m so sorry, I was really looking forward to our Fight. I appreciate your release of the title. Only a person who has experienced this situation can appreciate such a thing. Who is next? winner Blachowicz X Pereira or?” He used the hashtag to assert his status: “#IAMTHECHAMPION.”
The tweet echoed his earlier statements to Hill, “I was really looking forward to our fight. I appreciate your release of the title. Only a person who has experienced this situation can appreciate such a thing.” He ended the tweet with a question about his potential adversary, proposing: “Who is next? [Me vs.] winner of Blachowicz vs. Pereira? Or, I am the champion.” It was at UFC 275 in June 2022 that Prochazka seized the title, submitting Teixeira in an intense fifth-round title showdown. The victory boosted the 30-year-old’s UFC record to three wins and no losses, extending his overall winning streak to thirteen victories.