UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka has pulled out of UFC 282 due to a severe shoulder injury that will require extensive rehab.
Prochazka revealed that he initially suffered the injury in preparation for his championship bout with Glover Teixeira back in June. While he and his team hoped that the injury would improve, they haven’t seen the results they were hoping for and will now begin to look at surgical options to fix the ailment.
With recovery timelines from shoulder surgery ranging in length up to a year or more, the 30 year old announced that he would vacate his title out of respect for other fighters in the division.
“I am very disappointed to announce that I will not be defending my belt at UFC 282,” Prochazka wrote in a social media post. “I was injured in training in Las Vegas while finishing my preparation for my title defense in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. I injured my shoulder and surgery is required which will put me out of action for at least six months.”
“Knowing this information, I have decided, after consulting with UFC management, that due to this time constraint, I will not hold the light heavyweight division and will vacate the title.”
“I will go for the UFC belt as soon as the doctors give me the green light to fight,” continued Prochazka. “I’m going to go for the belt and I’m going to get it no matter who currently holds it. It’s always been the most important thing for me to put on the best performance and compare myself to the best. Let the best show no matter who’s there now.”
With the Czech fighter sidelined, Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz will now meet for the undisputed title in the main event. The bout which is scheduled to take place in Vegas on December 10th, was initially offered to former champion Glover Teixeira, however the Brazilian fighter asked for additional time to prepare for a new opponent, a request that the UFC ultimately denied.
While Prochazka repeatedly referenced a 6 month timeline in his social media posts, many observers are sceptical as to whether that timeline will hold based on average rehab programs for athletes undergoing similar surgical procedures.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: JP#BJP. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.