Jamahal Hill has some unfinished business to deal with in his division.
The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion never really lost the title after defeating Glover Teixeira at UFC 283. While nobody beat him to take the throne, Hill did end up relinquishing the belt after suffering a ruptured achilles in a basketball game last summer.
After UFC 300, Who’s Got Next At Light Heavyweight?
More than a year later and all recovered, Hill aims to reclaim what was once his against current champ Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 300 on Apr. 13. On the very same night of the title fight, top contenders Jiri Prochazka and Aleksandar Rakic are set to collide in a high-stakes matchup at light heavyweight.
‘Sweet Dreams’ says this fight could very well determine his next title challenger, should he sleep the mighty Pereira like he plans on doing in Las Vegas.
“I think if Jiri goes out and he knocks Rakic out in an impressive fashion and has a good performance, that’s still a fight that I want,” Hill told Michael Bisping. “I still want that fight but it’s gotta make sense. I think him going out and knocking out Rakic could make that make sense.”
The History Is There
Hill was originally supposed to face off with former champ Prochazka last year, but it never came to be because of Hill’s title-costing injury. Czech Republic’s Prochazka can most definitely relate as he went through those indistinguishable circumstances in 2022.
Prochazka left the title up for grabs after dealing with a devastating shoulder injury. Like Hill at UFC 300, Prochazka was shot straight to a title fight with Alex Pereira. ‘BJP’ ultimately lost by TKO at UFC 295 in a result some consider to have been an ‘early stoppage’.
“Just because of how he lost the Alex fight,” Hill said of why Prochazka should get the next title shot. “I don’t feel that he was given the respect of a champion to battle through adversity and to get his belt back. I feel like his value’s still there, and I feel that fight is still a great fight.
“Him and Magomed [Ankalaev]. Magomed’s there, he’s waiting. He’s there. He’ll wait.”
Hill Reacts To Pereira’s ‘Crazy’ Plans To Fight Again At UFC 301
The #3 ranked Magomed Ankalaev seems to be on the other side of the title equation at 205lbs. With Pereira beating Prochazka a fight ago, ‘Poatan’ plots a future title defense with Ankalaev after he takes care of business with Hill next month.
In fact, Alex Pereira has boldly stated he wants to fight the Russian in a quick turnaround at UFC 301. His next opponent Jamahal Hill doesn’t see that happening.
“It was funny to me. And it’s funny like that that how I can say like, ‘Yeah, I feel like I can knock him out’. And it’s like, ‘Oh, he’s delusional, he’s crazy’ and all these things like that. But, my man [Pereira] literally said he was gonna beat me and then turn around 3 weeks later and fight Magomed. Crazy, bro.”
We’ll see how the light heavyweight division’s title picture unfolds in the coming weeks.
