In 2019, Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) efficiently defended his Rizin Gentle Heavyweight Championship within the promotion’s New Yr’s Eve present, the final combat on his contract. A number of weeks later, Prochazka, then out of contract with Rizin Preventing Federation, departed the promotion and turned his consideration to the No. 1 group on the planet, the UFC.
After the UFC was pressured to place stay motion on pause, like each different sports activities league within the civilized world, in March of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prochazka made his promotional debut, sans stay viewers and on Struggle Island within the United Arab Emirates, that July throughout UFC 251. That night time, he scored a second-round TKO versus Volkan Oezdemir.
It was Ozedemir’s first loss by knockout in his profession. On Jan. 15, it’ll have been 5 years to the day since Prochazka formally joined Dana White‘s promotion. Three days later, his 2025 itinerary opens up in a giant method.
Prochazka Collides with Hill in First Pay-Per-View of New Yr
Jan. 18 sees the UFC go to pay-per-view for the primary time in 2025 and it’ll achieve this in a brand new enviornment. UFC 311 marks the promotion’s first-ever go to to the brand new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA, which simply opened up for enterprise earlier this 12 months and serves as the house court docket for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
Jiri Prochazka, the No. 2 contender at 205 lbs., will probably be making the stroll to the Octagon that Saturday night when he locks horns for a battle between one other former UFC Gentle Heavyweight Champion, No. 3 contender Jamahal Hill (12-2, 1 NC MMA, 6-2, 1 NC UFC). Information of the Prochazka/Hill pairing turned official on Saturday following the UFC Macau major occasion.
The Jan. 18 contest is at the moment forecast to be the co-main occasion of the night at Intuit Dome and the stakes are excessive. A bout with present titleholder Alex Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), who simply defended the 205-lb. belt in October throughout UFC 303’s major occasion versus Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6, 1 NC MMA, 9-6, 1 NC UFC) could possibly be within the offing afterward within the new 12 months for the victor of the lean developing within the winter.
Its a Struggle, Its a pleasure to be alive and create the Finest ourselfs. Lets get it !!! #ufc311 pic.twitter.com/UM85x7ctba
— Jiri BJP Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) November 23, 2024
Prochazka Seeking to Get Again in Win Column Jan. 18
Jiri Prochazka will enter UFC 311 in January having posted a mark of 3-2 in his final 5 fights. Most not too long ago, he sustained a second-round knockout by means of head kick versus the aforementioned Alex Pereira in June of this 12 months throughout UFC 303, the finale of Worldwide Struggle Week 2024, from T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas.
A win for Prochazka over Hill might open up an opportunity at revenge for the second-ranked contender at 205 lbs. Since becoming a member of the UFC in 2020, he’s already fought Alex Pereira twice, with Prochazka developing brief every time.
The final time that Prochazka had a sustained profitable streak was between April of 2016 and Might of 2021, throughout which period he scored 11 victories in succession, together with his stint as Rizin Gentle Heavyweight Champion from April of 2019 to his departure from Rizin in January of 2020.
Since becoming a member of the UFC in July of 2020, Jiri Prochazka has but to face off towards Jamahal Hill contained in the famed Octagon, so will he be capable of decide up an necessary victory on Jan. 18?
Hill Again After 9 Months Away
Within the different nook, Jamahal Hill will return to the UFC on Jan. 18 for his first combat since two deliberate bookings for UFC 303 on June 29 went awry. Initially, he was slated to sq. off towards Khalil Rountree Jr. that night time earlier than the competition was scrubbed after it was revealed that Rountree by accident took a complement that includes DHEA, on the checklist of forbidden substances by the promotion.
Rountree was then handed a two-month ban upon disclosing the violation on his personal accord. Subsequent to the Rountree withdrawal, Hill was then booked to combat Carlos Ulberg, who fought Saturday night time through the UFC Macau major card.
That pairing, too, went unrealized after the previous bowed out from UFC 303 for good due to harm. So far as his report during the last 5 fights goes, Hill will enter the UFC 311 co-main occasion with a report of 3-2, together with a unanimous resolution victory over Glover Teixeira (33-9 MMA, 16-7 UFC) throughout UFC 283’s major occasion in January of 2023, the latter’s retirement bout.
Jamahal Hill can have been out of motion for a little bit greater than 9 months by the point the cage door shuts on Jan 18, having final appeared through the landmark UFC 300. After that April look, Hill took to X (previously generally known as Twitter) to advocate for a combat towards Prochazka sooner or later.
I dared to be nice towards adversity and towards an ideal problem and got here up brief on the highest degree on the planet!!! I answered the decision twice on brief discover to combat for a championship that the majority won’t ever combat for!!! On to the subsequent @jiri_bjp least closing make it occur!!
— Jamahal Hill (@JamahalH) April 15, 2024
Closing Ideas
Any fight sports activities promotion needs to come back out of the gates robust within the first present of the 12 months. With an interesting combat on the docket for the UFC 311 major occasion, if this pairing holds collectively, they’ll have hit the proverbial baseball over the fence for a round-tripper as soon as once more.
