The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship is once again vacant.
Current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Jamahal Hill will be headed for surgery following the apparent rupture of his Achilles tendon. Per MMA Fighting's Damon Martin, the Michigan-native will undergo the knife and vacate the UFC's 205-pound title after rupturing his Achilles during a pick-up basketball game that featured several UFC stars during International Fight Week before the UFC 290 pay-per-view event.
Hill, 32, made the announcement via his YouTube channel late Thursday (July 13) night.
“I have unfortunately suffered an injury,” Hill said. “I’ve ruptured my Achilles’ [tendon]. It’s just one of those things that happens. It’s a tough injury. It’s one that will require surgery and will require time and rehab and things for me to be out for a while. Also with that, I was given an opportunity. I was given a blessing that came at the misfortune of someone else. Jiri Prochazka was the champion, he suffered an injury as these things happen. He gave up the belt and allowed for others to not hold the division. To keep the division moving forward. To keep entertaining. To make sure the people had a champion. I’ll do the same.
“Right now, the biggest thing is focusing on my recovery, focusing on getting back to 100 percent. I need to take some time to focus on my health and make sure that I’m 100 percent and I’m the fighter that everybody knows who I am and who I’ve been since I’ve stepped into this. In order to do that, I need to focus on healing and getting ready and rehabbing.”
The now-former champion claimed the title following a dominant wire-to-wire unanimous decision victory over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283, this past January. Tentative plans were in place for Hill to make his first title defense against former champion, Jiri Prochazka later this year, after Prochazka was ready to return following vacating the title himself in 2022 after suffering a shoulder injury. While no word has officially been announced by the UFC, former 205-pound King, Jan Blachowicz and former middleweight champion, Alex Pereira are set to clash at UFC 291 on July 29, which could very well be changed to a vacant title bout.
It's worth noting that Hill finished up his announcement by saying the UFC has told him that he'll be getting a title shot upon his return, whenever that may be.
“The show must go on and I’m not exempt from that,” Hill said. “I’ve been promised that I will fight for my title immediately as soon as I am able as well as the other things that come with that.
“It’s just part of the story. No matter what it is, history is going to be written. It’s just part of that history now. It’s just a test. I’m being tested and I will stand up to the challenge as a man and as a champion.”
(h/t to MMA Fighting for the quotes)
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