It’s set to be a big few months for the light heavyweight division.

This summer, former champion Jan Błachowicz will return to action for the first time since he and Magomed Ankalaev fought to a split draw in competition for the then-vacant belt at UFC 282 last December.

The Polish powerhouse will next share the Octagon with a divisional debutant in Alex Pereira, whom Błachowicz will welcome to 205 pounds in the co-main event of UFC 291 on July 29 in Salt Lake City.

With a win, the former titleholder has claimed that another opportunity at returning to the light heavyweight throne is guaranteed. That means he’ll be paying close attention to the next championship fight in the division.

Błachowicz Picks “Better Fighter” Out Of Hill & Procházka

Following his title win at UFC 283 this past January, Jamahal Hill has had a relatively long wait for his first defense.

While he appears to be growing impatient and recently set an August deadline, there’s yet to be any firm indication that the promotion has anything in the pipeline aside from a clash with former champ Jiří Procházka.

“Denisa,” who vacated the belt late last year due to injury, has repeatedly labeled September as a realistic date for his return to action. And should that come to fruition in the form of an immediate chance to regain the gold, Błachowicz appears confident that his fellow European will get the job done against “Sweet Dreams.”

“Jiří,” Błachowicz said when asked for his pick during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour. “Yeah, (I’m confident). Because he is a better fighter, you know? He is a crazy fighter. Weird fighter with a weird style, but this weird style is working very well. I want to be the guy to stop him.”

Ever since Procházka rose to the light heavyweight mountaintop with a late submission win over Glover Teixeira last year, Błachowicz has repeatedly expressed his desire for a blockbuster matchup with the knockout artist in their home continent.

Despite “Denisa” not currently having the gold in his possession, the Polish star appears to be crossing his fingers for results to go his way in the coming months in order to bring the European collision back on the table.

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