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The UFC light heavyweight title is vacant once again.
On Thursday night, 205-pound titleholder Jamahal Hill announced that he has suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. Hill has decided to relinquish his title due to the lengthy time he will be sidelined while he recovers from the injury in order to avoid holding up the division.
“If I had my choice, would I like to give up the belt?” Hill said in a video on his YouTube page. “No, I wouldn’t. You got to be consistent. I understand, it’s the business. The show must go on. I’m not exempt from that.
“Right now, the biggest thing is focusing on my recovery, focusing on getting back to 100 percent.”
Hill has been champion for six months and was expected to face former champion Jiri Prochazka, who vacated the title due to a shoulder injury back in December.
Hill (12-1, 1 NC) is on a four-fight winning streak with $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses in each of the four bouts. The 32-year-old Hill added that the UFC has promised him a title shot when he is healthy enough to return to the cage.
Hill, who got his foot in the door with the UFC after a successful appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, is 6-1 (1 NC) in the UFC.
We wish Hill a full and speedy recovery.
