If it not for T.J. Dillashaw, Jiri Prochazka may have continued to fight and potentially retained his UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 282.
However, Prochazka ultimately decided to vacate the title due to a shoulder injury, pulling out of his scheduled rematch with Glover Teixeira and stepping down as champion.
‘Denisa’ initially considered fighting despite his injury, believing he could finish the fight quickly. However, he decided to relinquish the belt and prioritize his health, citing TJ’s injury TKO loss to Aljamain Sterling as influential in his decision.
“[I was] still thinking about that I had to go to the fight, because I believe that I can solve it — I can solve the fight [despite my injury],” Prochazka told Ariel Helwani during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour (h/t Steven Marrocco of MMA Fighting).