Bad Injuries, Jiri Prochazka Out Of UFC 282 At The Same Time Holding A Title

Jiri Prochazka (Instagram @jirkaprochazka)

JAKARTA - Jiri Prochazka, the UFC lightweight heavyweight champion, was forced to withdraw from his bid to defend his title against Glover Teixeira at UFC 282 due to a serious injury to his right shoulder. He also had to give up his title.

According to Tim Simpson, Prochazka's manager, the fighter's shoulder was "collapsed in a type of wrestling accident at the UFC Performance Institute". Doctors told UFC president Dana White that his injury was severe.

"This is the worst shoulder injury the doctors have ever seen in UFC history," White quoted Marca as saying Thursday. "This is really bad. His shoulders are very, very bad. He will undergo serious surgery that requires extensive rehabilitation."

Looking back a little. Prochazka won the title from Teixeira at UFC 275 on June 11. In a fight that became the flagship for Fight of the Year, Prochazka beat Teixeira through a rear naked past when 28 seconds remained.

Teixeira refused the UFC opportunity to fight for an empty title in the fight against Ankalaev. According to Campbell's Hunter Campbell, UFC's head of business, Teixeira "perhaps" intending to reclaim the championship from Prochazka.

"We met Jiri last night and heard that this man is one of the most classy people of all time," White said. "He is an extraordinary and very disappointed fighter."

I am very disappointed to announce that I will not be defending my belt at UFC 282. I was injured in training in Las Vegas while finishing my preparation for my title defense in the UFC's lightheavyweight division. pic.twitter.com/0KUEBZVPuK

— Jiri BJP Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) November 23, 2022

"He will be absent for a long time and at some point, we may have to remove his title. But, he conveyed it to us and said in honor of other fighters, he didn't want to defend the division.

The main event on December 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will feature former Jan Blachowicz versus Magomed Ankalaev champions after Teixeira turned down the opportunity to challenge other fighters for the championship.

Ankalaev is currently in third place in the UFC lightweight division, while Blachowicz is in second place. Ankalaev, who made his UFC debut on March 17, 2018, in London, won nine games in a row and set a record (win-loss) of 18-1 overall after suffering his only career defeat with Paul Craig's triple vote.

Former UFC Blachowicz champion was defeated by Teixeira at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on October 30, 2021. In his first fight after a comeback, he defeated Aleksandar Rakic with TKO on May 14 in Las Vegas. Rakic's knee disease led to the end of the fight.

On the rise, Maddy Pimblott and Jared Gordon will compete in the lightweight division in a new major support event at UFC 282.