UFC President Dana White feels Jiří Procházka hasn’t been truly dethroned following his vacation of the light heavyweight title.
Procházka vacated the light heavyweight belt after suffering a significant shoulder injury ahead of UFC 282. Instead of the UFC booking a short-notice interim bout, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will fight for the vacant title in the UFC 282 headliner.
Procházka’s injury is severe enough that an immediate timetable for his return is uncertain. He’ll likely be out for at least a year after he undergoes surgery, and by the time he comes back, there will likely be a few title fights.
During his long absence, White doesn’t believe Procházka will lose standing in the division.
Dana White Crowns Jiří Procházka As Real 205lb Champion
During a recent appearance on Paddy Pimblett’s Chattin Pony podcast, White gave his thoughts on Procházka and the light heavyweight title picture.
“I gotta say this about Jiří. He’ll still be looked at as the champ, he never lost the belt, he vacated it,” White said of Procházka. “These guys will fight for the title. There might actually be two title fights before he’s able to return from that shoulder surgery, but this should be a fun one. And this card is absolutely stacked with great fights.”
Procházka earned the title by defeating Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 earlier this year. He was supposed to face Teixeira in an immediate rematch at UFC 282 before his injury.
Teixeira will likely face the Blachowicz/Ankalaev winner for the next title shot. Meanwhile, as Procházka enters the beginning stages of his recovery, another shot at the belt looms for his eventual return.
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.