UFC light heavyweight champion, Jamahal Hill has confirmed his relinquishing of the official undisputed championship this morning, revealing he is set to underdo a surgical procedure to address an achilles rupture, believed to have been suffered during a basketball match during International Fight Week earlier this month.
Hill, the first product of Dana White’s Contender Series to clinch gold under the banner of the UFC, managed to do so back in January in the main event of UFC 283, landing a unanimous decision victory against former champion, Glover Teixeira in the pair’s vacant title fight.
Jamahal Hill confirms his vacating of the UFC light heavyweight title
And expected to defend his crown in a title fight against the former champion, Jiri Prochazka later this year, Illinois native, Hill, has now confirmed he has been forced to vacate his undisputed light heavyweight crown due to an injury.
“I have unfortunately suffered an injury,” Jamahal Hill said in a video posted on his official YouTube channel. “I’ve ruptured my achilles’. It’s just one of those things that happens. It’s a tough injury. It’s one that will require surgery and will require time and rehab and things for me to be out for a while. Also with that, I was given an opportunity. I was given a blessing that came at the misfortune of someone else. Jiri Prochazka was the champion, he suffered an injury as these things happen. He gave up the belt and allowed for others to not hold the division. To keep the division moving forward. To keep entertaining. To make sure the people had a champion. I’ll do the same.”
“Right now, the biggest thing is focusing on my recovery, focusing on getting back to 100 percent,” Jamahal Hill explained. “I need to take some time to focus on my health and make sure that I’m 100 percent and I’m the fighter that everybody knows who i am and who I’ve been since I’ve stepped into this. In order to do that, I need to focus on healing and getting ready and rehabbing.”
And furthermore, according to MMA Fighting reporter, Damon Martin, Jamahal Hill is believed to have suffered the rupturing of his achilles during a basketball match featuring several current and former UFC fighters during International Fight Week earlier this month.
At the time of publication, the UFC have yet to release an official statement in conjunction with Hill’s announcement, nor have yet to address the future of a now-vacant light heavyweight championship.