The UFC light heavyweight division is once again looking for a new champion after Jamahal Hill announced late Thursday night that he is vacating his title after rupturing an Achilles tendon. Hill said he will be out for a while and was promised by the UFC that he’ll get an immediate shot to reclaim his title upon hir return from injury.

“If I had my choice, would I like to give up the belt?” Hill said. “No, I wouldn’t. You got to be consistent. I understand, it’s the business. The show must go on. I’m not exempt from that.”

Hill became the undisputed champion in the division with a win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January. Teixeira was supposed to fight then-champion Jiri Prochazka for the belt at UFC 282 but the latter pulled out due to a shoulder injury.

Contenders Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fought for the vacant belt in place of the aforementioned Teixeira-Prochazka fight but the bout ended in a split draw, leaving the title still up for grabs. Hill did not defend his belt after the win over Teixeira.

What this means for the light heavyweight division

If you’re looking for consistency in the UFC, the light heavyweight division is not a place you should start. Hill is the third champion in the division to relinquish his belt in the last three years (Prochazka and Jon Jones) and the second to do it without having a title defense (Prochazka).

Despite the vacancy, there seems to be a clear solution to who will compete for the belt next. Former champion Jan Blachowicz is scheduled to fight Alex Pereira later this month at UFC 291. It would make sense for the winner of that bout to face Prochazka for the vacant title later this year, given Prochazka will be healthy enough to fight by then and he never lost his belt in the octagon.

That leaves Ankalev as the odd man out in terms of contenders in the division. Many UFC media members and fans felt Ankalev won the vacant title fight against Blachowicz last December and the Russian has not fought since. He is currently the No. 2 ranked fighter in the light heavyweight division.

Assuming Hill will be unable to fight until the last quarter of 2024, there will likely be at least two title fights in the division before his return. If the UFC sticks true to their alleged promise to Hill that he will get a title fight right away, it would make for a very interesting headline and decision for the promotion if one of the aforementioned fighters deserves another shot.

For now, Jamahal Hill will wait it out and get healthy, while a crop of former champions and intriguing contenders battle it out for the belt that he unfortunately had to give up. After years of people chasing Jon Jones in the division, there has not been a more wide-open division in the UFC than the light heavyweight field since.