- Jamahal Hill is favored to beat Jiri Prochazka in a potential 205-pound title showdown.
- According to BetOnline, Hill is the -125 favorite and Prochazka the +105 bottom dog in a 205-pound title fight.
- Hill won the vacant title with a one-sided unanimous decision against former champion Glover Teixeira.
Jamahal Hill has opened as the betting favorite in a potential showdown with former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka.
According to the online sportsbook BetOnline, Hill is the slight -125 favorite to win the bout while Prochazka came back as the +105 bottom dog.
Here are the opening odds for a potential Jamahal Hill vs. Jiri Prochazka fight:
Jamahal Hill -125 (4/5)
Jiri Prochazka +105 (21/20)(odds via @betonline_ag) 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ArT5CotjgF
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) January 22, 2023
Prochazka is still out with a shoulder injury. However, the former champion is targeting to return in the summer with his injury progressing better than anyone expected.
UFC President Dana White has not issued a statement about Prochazka nor has the UFC announced any plans for the newly-crowned champion in Hill. However, it is expected that Prochazka will get the first crack at his old belt once he becomes available to return.
Jamahal Hill Defeats Glover Teixeira to Become Champion
Hill claimed the vacant UFC light heavyweight title by defeating another former champion Glover Teixeira at the main event of UFC 283 in Brazil last weekend. Although Hill was the -145 favorite to beat Teixeira, there was plenty of skepticism on whether he could win the belt against a veteran like Teixeira and in a hostile environment like Brazil.
But Hill silenced his critics when he shut out Teixeira in a one-sided unanimous decision. Hill battered and bloodied Teixeira with pinpoint striking while also showing that he can defend against Teixeira’s takedowns and managing to survive when the Brazilian took him to the mat on a couple of occasions.
The 31-year-old from Chicago, Illinois has won his last four bouts with all of his wins coming via stoppage and all earning him a post-fight performance bonus. The former Knockout Promotions light heavyweight champion has an impressive record of 12-1 with 7 knockouts. His lone loss was a knockout against Paul Craig at UFC 263 in a bout where he was a heavy -300 betting favorite.
Prochazka is Coming for His Belt
Shortly after Hill’s major win over Teixeira last weekend, immediate former champion Jir Prochazka released a video message on social media where he congratulated Hill on the victory but warned him (Hill) that he’s coming back for the belt which he never lost inside the UFC octagon.
Prochazka defeated Teixeira with a dramatic last-minute knockout at UFC 275 last June. He was scheduled to defend the title against Teixeira in an immediate rematch. However, Prochazka was forced to relinquish the gold after suffering a serious shoulder injury while training. The 205-pound title was declared vacant and Jan Blachowicz fought Magomed Magomedov at UFC 282 for the belt but their fight ended in a split draw.
The 30-year-old from the Czech Republic owns a record of 29-3 with 25 knockouts and three submission victories. Prochazka has not tasted defeat since losing to Muhammad Lawal at the Rizin World Grand Prix in 2015. He is 3-0 with three stoppage wins in the UFC with all of his victories earning him a post-fight bonus.
