Josh Thomson thinks Jamahal Hill presents more threats to Alex Pereira than Jiri Prochazka.
On Saturday night, Pereira claimed the vacant UFC light heavyweight title with a second-round knockout against Prochazka. The opportunity was presented to ‘Poatan’ due to former 205-pound king Jamahal Hill vacating the throne due to a torn Achilles.
Following UFC 295, Dana White confirmed that Pereira would defend his throne against Hill once the latter returns. As a result, debates and predictions have already been sparked for the intriguing light heavyweight battle between ‘Poatan’ and ‘Sweet Dreams.’
During the latest episode of Weighing In, former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson had this to say about the future matchup:
“Jamahal Hill is somebody that I think gives Alex [Pereira] a tougher fight than Jiri [Prochazka] does…I think Jamahal Hill is the faster fighter. He is the faster fighter. I also look at Alex, Alex has power, granted he has power, he’s not a fast fighter, though…The power and quickness of Jamahal Hill to get there to his chin, Alex could be in trouble.”
Dana White says Jamahal Hill is next for Alex Pereira after #UFC295 and if Israel Adesanya wants it again, he would have to commit to moving up.
"If he wins (a fight at 205 pounds), then give him a shot at Pereira." pic.twitter.com/5vcmuMD7mU
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) November 12, 2023
Josh Thomson believes Jiri Prochazka’s inactivity played a factor in loss against Alex Pereira
Prior to UFC 295, Jiri Prochazka’s last fight was a fifth-round submission win against Glover Teixeira in June 2022, where he became the UFC light heavyweight champion.
Unfortunately, Prochazka suffered a severe shoulder injury while preparing for his first title defense. ‘Denisa’ decided to vacate his title before enduring an extended layoff that included a successful shoulder surgery.
During the previously mentioned episode of Weighing In, Josh Thomson claimed Prochazka’s performance against Alex Pereira was likely affected by ring rust:
“Alex [Pereira] was so busy, John, in the last two years. Where as Jiri [Prochazka] has been out for the last, what, fifteen months or a little bit longer. He’s been out for a while. That does play a little bit of a factor when somebody is extremely busy like how Alex was. He was fighting all the time, and he wasn’t fight slouches.”
Jiri Prochazka may have lost at UFC 295, but his future is still bright. The 31-year-old has become a fan favorite for his personality and action-packed fighting style, which will continue to make him a presence in the light heavyweight title picture.
Watch the latest episode of Weighing In below:
