UFC champion Jamahal Hill tired of waiting for Jiri Prochazka: 'It's the next man up now'

Jamahal Hill is chomping at the bit to fight, but he’s been forced to wait.

Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) captured the vacant light heavyweight title with a beatdown of Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January and has since been waiting for Jiri Prochazka to recover from shoulder surgery.

This past Monday marked the one-year anniversary of Prochazka’s title win over Teixeira at UFC 275. Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) ended up vacating his belt after badly injuring his shoulder and is yet to give an exact timetable for his return.

One thing’s for certain: Hill is growing tired of waiting.

“Man, I heard the same thing y’all heard,” Hill told The Schmo. “‘It’s summer time,’ but still where you at, though? Where you at, though? I mean, I haven’t heard anything. I’ve been waiting for the call. I’ve been ready to go. At this point, I don’t care. It’s the next man up now. Whoever peaks their head out first, whoever separates themselves from the pack, whoever solidifies themselves as No. 1 contender, whoever they send. It is what it is, bro. Send whoever, just give me a name. I don’t care who it is.”

Hill expects to return in fall and says even that would be too long of a wait. In Prochazka’s one-year anniversary reflection post, he hinted that he will be ready to go in a few months.

“Today marks exactly one year since winning the UFC title. Since then, I have changed many things in my life, but the Path and Passion to be a true Champion and Master of the field has burned much brighter in me.
In a few months I’ll take the title clean and clear.
THERE WILL BE A FIGHT, AND THE FIGHT IS A JOY!!!!”

“I don’t, not at this point,” Hill said of his return. “Bro, I don’t. Hopefully it’s somewhere in September or October. I really, really, really wouldn’t want to wait until those times, which now I really don’t have much of a choice. I really don’t want to wait past that. I wanted to fight at least two more times this year as champion. It’s not my timetable. I’m working off other people’s schedule right now, but I’m ready to go. I’m ready to fight.”