LOS ANGELES – If Jamahal Hill is counting his chickens, so to talk, his subsequent opponent thinks he may remorse it.
Hill, a former gentle heavyweight champion who by no means obtained to defend the belt as a result of he needed to vacate it with an damage, takes on Jiri Prochazka on Saturday at UFC 311 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was a champ, himself, who needed to vacate the belt with an damage. However he thinks Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) could be speaking about his current loss to dominant champion Alex Pereira just a little an excessive amount of – and his purpose to get one other shot at him. In any case, he has to get by Prochazka first.
“I’ll simply say that it’s a giant mistake (if he’s not centered on me),” Prochazka mentioned at Wednesday’s media day for UFC 311. “When you’re not centered on what’s proper earlier than you, and also you’re on the lookout for one other opponent, it should value you a large number. Who’re you? It’s nearly staying humble, staying centered on what’s earlier than you.”
Prochazka submitted Glover Teixeira to win the title in June 2022, however later vacated it due to his damage. In January 2023, Hill beat Teixeira for the belt Prochazka vacated – solely to later must vacated it, himself.
Prochazka was knocked out by Pereira at UFC 295 for the belt vacated by Hill. He rebounded at UFC 300 with a knockout of Alexsandar Rakic, however was knocked out once more by Pereira in a rematch at UFC 303. And in between these wins over Prochazka, Pereira additionally knocked out Hill at UFC 300.
“I don’t talk about different opponents, about who can be subsequent,” Prochazka mentioned. “Even when I mentioned that I wish to struggle Alex Pereira a 3rd time as a result of I consider in myself, I consider in my type, in my adjustments of my type, adjustments in my private way of life, every part – no. This isn’t the place proper now. There may be Jamahal Hill right here this Saturday. I wish to win, and I’m going to win this struggle – after which we will speak about others.”
Take a look at Prochazka’s full interview within the video above.
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 311.
Make sure you go to the MMA Junkie Instagram web page and YouTube channel to debate this and extra content material with followers of combined martial arts.
