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Jiri Prochazka was forced to withdraw from his first title defense at UFC 282 due to a shoulder injury. As a true sportsman, he subsequently chose to vacate the title so as not to hold up the 205lbs division.
UFC President Dana White shared more details on the injury that led to the main event bout being scrapped.
During a recent appearance on surging lightweight Paddy Pimblett's podcast Chattin' Pony, White stated:
"That night when it all went down and we had our doctor look at him, the doctor literally said, 'In all the years at the UFC, this is the worst shoulder injury we've ever seen.' It's pretty nasty. Him being the savage that he is, he still wanted to fight. He said, 'I can do this.' No, you can't fight, you can't fight kid. He tore it good."
White continued:
"[His shoulder] popped out and he had some guys there at the gym [trying to put it back in], and they ripped the s**t out of it. I'll tell you, I told him, I tell all the fighters, if anything happens to you, jump in the f**king car and go to the hospital. We will pay for everything. People think these guys at the gym can fix your shoulder, don't even risk it."
With Prochazka out of the event, a new light heavyweight title fight will take place between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev.
Watch Dana White discuss Jiri Prochazka's shoulder injury below (starting at the 1:55 mark):
Dana White gives an update on Jiri Prochazka's return
Jiri Prochazka made the decision to vacate the light heavyweight title, drawing plenty of praise from the MMA community. UFC President Dana White shared that Prochazka will fight for the belt upon his return. However, two title fights may take place before he is able to return.
Speaking to Paddy Pimblett on his podcast, White stated:
"I gotta say this too about Jiri. He will still be looked at as the champion. He never lost the belt. He vacated it. These guys [Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev] will fight for the title. There might actually be two fights that happen before he's able to return after that shoulder surgery."
While Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will fight for the light heavyweight title at UFC 282, Glover Teixeira is likely to face the winner. Assuming Prochazka doesn't hit any setbacks during his recovery, it is likely that he will have an opportunity to reclaim his title sometime in 2023.
Watch Dana White discuss Jiri Prochazka's return from a shoulder injury below (starting at the 4:00 mark):
