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Former light heavyweight champions Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill are set to clash Jan. 18 during UFC 311 at Los Angeles' Intuit Dome. The UFC announced the matchup during the UFC Macau postfight show. Prochazka and Hill are looking to get back into the win column after each suffered a knockout loss to champion Alex Pereira. Hill (12-2) fell to Pereira in his attempt to reclaim the light heavyweight title at UFC 300 in April. Hill won the vacant title in January 2023 but was forced to vacate when he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon while playing basketball during UFC International Fight Week. Following his loss to Pereira, Hill was booked to face Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 303 in June. Rountree was forced out due to taking a banned substance and was replaced by Carlos Ulberg, but Hill, a Chicago native, also withdrew due to injury. Prochazka (30-5-1) was stopped in the second round when he faced Pereira for the 205-pound championship at UFC 303. Prochazka defeated Glover Teixeira in June 2022 for the title but was forced to vacate when an injured shoulder sidelined him for over a year. Prochazka faced Pereira for the vacant title in 2023 and lost by knockout. After Prochazka bounced back with a win against Aleksandar Rakic, the Czech fighter lost in his second attempt against Pereira. Prochazka and Hill are ranked Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, in the light heavyweight division by the UFC, and the winner would likely be in line for a future title opportunity. There is no main event set for UFC 311, though it has long been rumored to be headlined by Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight championship against Arman Tsarukyan.
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