EXCLUSIVE: Jiri Prochazka confirms plans for September return, eyes UFC title fight with Jamahal Hill: I wanna be next level’
Former undisputed light heavyweight champion, Jiri Prochazka has confirmed plans to make an Octagon return as soon as September of this year following a devastating shoulder injury suffered last December – ahead of an expected reworked fight with Jamahal Hill.
Prochazka, the current #1 ranked light heavyweight contender, was scheduled to headline UFC 282 back in December in a title rematch against former gold holder, Glover Teixeira, however, in the weeks ahead of the fight, the Czech Republic native was forced to withdraw from the fight, after suffering a shoulder injury – one which UFC leader, Dana White claimed was the worst the promotional doctor’s had ever seen.
Deciding to relinquish his undisputed light heavyweight title, Prochazka was earmarked to make a return to the Octagon in a championship fight against the then-champion – currently, Dana White’s Contender Series alum, Jamahal Hill.
Jiri Prochazka provides an update on his Octagon comeback
Providing an update on an expected title fight return against Hill in the coming months, Prochazka confirmed he planned to make a comeback as soon as September of this annum.
“(My) shoulder is great,” Jiri Prochazka told LowKick MMA. “So, I’m working on that everyday. Last month, we did amazing work. That’s why I’m so happy for that. Everything’s going smoothly. Everything’s going step by step to be back [at] the end of this summer.”
“I wanted to be back in six months after this surgery,” Jiri Prochazka explained. “[But the] shoulder is not so easy to rehab because there is many angles, many things to work on. I think it will not be in six months, because I just don’t want to be just healthy and fight. I wanna be on the next level. Right now, I need something like one or two months and then I can start some improvements – some upgrades to my style, to push it to the next level.”
Opting against a rushed return to the Octagon, Prochazka confirmed he would return to training for a period of a month, before assessing his shoulder ahead of a September comeback.
“September,” Jiri Prochazka said of a timeframe of a potential comeback. “Something like that. Now, it’s April – I think I need for a finish to rehab and making a great preparation, four more months I think – I wanna practice, practice, and practice. And I will see after one month.”
