And just like that, Jamahal Hill is ready to rebound.
It’s not everyday we see a UFC fighter shake off a loss and go straight back to work the next day. But, that’s exactly how it all turned out for Hill, who has already booked his return fight. A week after losing to Alex Pereira in the UFC 300 headliner, it was announced the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion would be going to war again, this time against rising contender.
Dear UFC, “I’m Ready To Fight Again”
Hill will face highly-touted Muay Thai specialist Khalil Rountree Jr. in the co-main event of UFC 303, second only to Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler. Hill details how the fight with Rountree got made.
“I went to [the UFC],” Hill told Middle Easy’s James Lynch. “I was sitting, I’m like, man, I’m fresh, I’m ready to get back into it. I’m ready to fight again. So Sunday, I told my manager, I still feel good, I feel ready to fly back into a fight. Monday, I got on another call with him and he got on a call with Mick [Maynard] and by Tuesday they had a contract on its way.”
On Saturday, the UFC broke the news of Hill’s return.
Is Hill Good To Go After Being Handed TKO Loss?
It’s a bit of a quick turnaround for the former champ as International Fight Week isn’t too far away with its June 29th date. There is some room for concern as Hill was just TKO’ed by Pereira on Apr. 13, but Hill maintains he’s all taken care of when it comes to medicals.
“I wasn’t knocked out,” Hill cleared up. “I got hit with a good one and then like I went down, I was defending and then I got hit, I got hit with another, with some good follow up shots and it kind of knocked my equilibrium off. I was not unconscious at no point… It’s a technical knockout.
“After a fight period, they give everybody a medical suspension after a fight originally. You just have to go through some clearances. We just gotta have some doctor’s appointment and go get checked out and get cleared and that’s it.
“No, they don’t do that,” Hill said when asked if he was subject to a medical suspension. “For the most, they just be like, ‘Oh, you have this suspension’. They’ll be like, ‘Oh, we’ll do a 30 day, 60 day suspension’ or whatever. Or until you get cleared by the doctor.”
Regarding the critics who say this might be “too much, too soon” for Hill, he expects “people to not be sensible and know what the f*** they’re talking about.”
Hill: “I Turned Down A Main Event To Get On [UFC 303]”
Following his marquee moment at UFC 300, arguably the biggest event in MMA history, Hill was offered to headline a future UFC Fight Night event. However, “Sweet Dreams” shot it down and set his sights on fighting next to superstar Conor McGregor upon UFC 303, which is sure to grab a ton of eyeballs across the world.
“I’m waiting to see what it’s like, the experience and everything like that,” Hill said of fighting at UFC 303. [McGregor’s] one of those stars in the game. He’s THE star in the game, that’s just sending himself to a different level and probably a different atmosphere whenever he fights.
“I was offered a main event, I was offering to fight Khalil. [UFC said] ‘We could do it, we can get you a main event’, it was just like, nah, the Conor card is right there. It’s soon enough and it’s good enough. I definitely want that, so I turned down a main event to get on that.”
“There Are A Lot Of Holes” In Khalil Rountree’s Game
From what was supposed to be a five-round main event to now a standard three-rounder, Hill previews the upcoming matchup against Rountree, feeling as though there is much to exploit on June 29th.
“I see a Muay Thai guy who’s strong, who throws with some power, has some power. He seems pretty strong, but there are holes,” Hill said of Rountree. “There are a lot of holes. There are things that I see that my strengths play a huge advantage and my favorite things that I’ll be able to take advantage of. I see myself as a full-rounded fighter. Although, I haven’t shown it in the UFC, I haven’t had to go into my bag of grappling, but it has been shown in glimpses.
“But, I’m a fighter. I can fight everywhere. I can fight on the ground. I fight in the clinch and I can fight standing. The fight starts standing, that’s where I can control a fight with the least amount of injury. So that’s typically what I usually go with. But yeah, if I need to open up my bag and go into some other things and things in this fight that’s there as well. I think I have the grappling advantage in this fight. I think I have just the all around tactician advantage in this fight.”
Jamahal Hill’s official prediction for UFC 303: “Dominant finish by me.”
