UFC light heavyweight Jamahal Hill Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

With Jamahal Hill sidelined, who should fight for vacant UFC light heavyweight title?

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 7/14/23

After winning the UFC light heavyweight championship in January, Jamahal Hill (12-1) didn’t even have a chance to defend his belt before having to relinquish it on Thursday due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered during training.

It marks the fourth time the light heavyweight title has been vacated over the last five years — Jiri Prochazka in 2022 (injury), Jon Jones in 2020 (moved up a weight class) and Daniel Cormier in 2018 (moved up a weight class).

While the UFC hasn’t publicly commented on Hill’s injury or what’s next for the vacant 205-pound belt, there are a few intriguing matchups the organization can make in Hill’s absence.

The most logical option would be to put former champion Prochazka (29-3-1) against the winner of Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1) and Alex Pereira (7-2), who fight each other July 29 at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City.

@JamahalH Man, I'm so sorry, I was really looking forward to our Fight. I appreciate your release of the title. Only a person who has experienced this situation can appreciate such a thing.

Who is next?
winner Blachowicz X Pereira or ?#IAMTHECHAMPION ///\\\
— Jiri BJP Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) July 14, 2023

Both Prochazka and Blachowicz, the Nos. 1 and 3-ranked fighters in the 205-pound division, are former light heavyweight champions, while Pereira is a former middleweight champion.

The UFC could also simply book a title fight between No. 1-ranked Prochazka and No. 2-ranked Magomed Akalaev for the vacant belt, or include No. 4-ranked Aleksandar Rakic and No. 5-ranked Nikita Kryolv in some sort of title eliminator tournament.

Regardless of who’s holding the belt when Hill returns, he indicated the UFC will give him an opportunity to reclaim what he never lost.

“On my road to recovery,” Hill said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve been promised that I will fight for my title immediately as soon as I am able, as well as the other things that come with that. … It’s just part of the story.”

More must-reads: