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UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill is set on a deadline for his next defense against Jiří Procházka, but ‘Denisa’ says he is going to miss it. During a recent interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, ‘Sweet Dreams’ said he was ‘hearing’ his fight with Procházka could happen at UFC 292 in the summer — the initial timeline the Czech fighter set for his return to the Octagon.
Jiří Procházka gives updated timeline for return
Ahead of his first defense against Glover Teixeira at UFC 282 this past December, the former UFC light heavyweight champion suffered a severe shoulder injury — the ‘worst’ one doctors have seen in UFC history, according to UFC president Dana White. After he underwent successful surgery, Procházka said he would fight again within six months, or ’the end of the summer’.
However, his timeline has changed, as Procházka recently revealed that he still needs time to recover from the shoulder injury, so the deadline Hill set is ‘too soon’ for him to return.
“August is still early for me because, and I keep saying this, I don’t want to just come there healthy in the cage and go fight right away,” said Procházka on the Fair Play Thinker podcast (H/T Pavel Bartoš of MMA Shorties) “I want to come into the cage with the fact that I’ve broken down my style and taken a step and I’m a step ahead in my fighting style, my career, my mindset, everything.”
During a recent edition of The Ringer MMA Show (H/T Meni Mayer of MMA Ideas), Ariel Helwani confirmed that Procházka does not expect to return against Hill this summer.
Jamahal Hill talks potential Jiří Procházka fight
As for Hill, he is predicting a violent win against Procházka, so he hopes the UFC can schedule their fight soon.
“I feel like my skill level vastly surpasses that of his own,” said Hill to MMA Junkie. “I feel like he’s a very physical dude. He’s strong, he has some natural, physical attributes, but the skill and the certain understanding on the level that I understand this s—t? He’s not there.
“I was just watching his fights the other day,” continued Hill. “He’s not that guy. I can’t wait to get him in there. I truly can’t wait to get him in there so he can really see what it’s like. It’s going to be funny. I’m going to beat the dog s—t out of that man.”
If not Procházka, then Hill says he would fight ‘whoever steps forward’ in the division. The Contender Series alum has not fought since his title-winning efforts against Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 this past January.
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