Jiri Prochazka injury: Why did Prochazka withdraw from UFC 282?

Jiri Prochazka was scheduled to defend his UFC light-heavyweight title against Glover Teixeira at UFC 282 next month. However, a shoulder injury has forced Prochazka to withdraw from the contest, meaning a new main-event has been created for the pay-per-view event.

Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will fill the main event spot at UFC 282. The two fighters will compete for the vacant light-heavyweight title in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It had seemed natural for Ankalaev to face Teixeira, but it seems the Brazilian was unwilling to take the fight on short notice. Teixeira needed more time to prepare for the Russian's style and stepped aside, allowing Blachowicz and Ankalaev to fight for the vacant belt.

The Brazilian told ESPN that he was trying to re-schedule the bout against Ankalaev, but the UFC were seemingly unwilling to accommodate a new location:

The guy is a southpaw. I said, 'What about fighting him in Brazil?' They denied that and said they needed someone to fight in Vegas. I said, OK, I'll fight Jan in Vegas. If you're going to throw me off, Jan has a regular stance. Ankalaev is a totally different game. I need more time.

Watch Jiri Prochazka speak about vacating the title here:

Paddy Pimblett will take on Jared Gordon in the co-main event at UFC 282. 'The Baddy' last fought in July 23rd at UFC: London, getting the better of Jordan Leavitt via submission in the second round. Gordon has a 7-4 record in the UFC, but will be keen to cause an upset in Las Vegas.

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How many times has Jiri Prochazka competed in the UFC?

Despite Jiri Prochazka being a former UFC light-heavyweight champion, the Czech fighter has only fought three times in the organization. 'Denisa' quickly climbed the ranks in the organization, beating Volkan Oezdemir on his debut at UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal.

In his second UFC outing, Prochazka took on Dominick Reyes. 'Denisa' once again got the better of his opponent, scoring back-to-back second-round stoppages against Reyes and Oezdemir.

Watch highlights from the UFC 275 main-event here:

In his most recent outing, Prochazka managed to score a late victory against Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. 'Denisa' submitted Teixeira in the fifth and final round. Teixeira was likely heading towards a victory via the scorecards, meaning many have called for an immediate rematch after the bout.

Teixeira was scheduled to face Jiri Prochazka next month, but the bout has been canceled due to an injury suffered by Prochazka in the lead-up to the contest.