The last three months have been rough for the Light Heavyweight division. Jiri is currently out with one of the worst shoulder injuries ever seen by UFC president Dana White. So a vacant title fight featuring former champ, Blachowicz and Ankalev was held, which ultimately ended in a draw. However, this sparked an opportunity for the 205’er Jamahal Hill. Shortly after the disappointing end to UFC 282, Hill got the call to fight former champ Glover Teixeira for the belt on six weeks’ notice in Brazil. “Literally, before they even left the cage, my phone rang”, Hill said in an interview with CBS Sports. Jamahal Hill, also known as “Sweet Dreams”, has only gone to the scorecards once in the UFC. Hill’s slick boxing and habit of putting his opponents to sleep in the octagon have made him one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC.
Below are some of Jamahal’s key moments from his UFC journey ahead of his title shot at UFC 283.
Jamahal Hill: Dana White’s Contender Series
Hill earned a UFC contract after a stand-out performance on Dana White’s Contender Series. A slow first round for Hill had Dana thinking Jamahal Hill needed more experience before heading to the UFC. But “Sweet Dreams” turned it up a notch in the second round. He broke down his opponent with knees to the body and head and ended up finishing him with some nasty ground and pound. Luckily it changed Dana’s mind as he now becomes just the third Contender Series vet to earn a title shot. Hill talked about the importance of that Contender Series fight in a press conference with the UFC as seen below. Also worth noting that fellow UFC fighters Billy Quarantillo and Sean Woodson were on this episode.
Loss to Paul Craig
Jamahal Hill went into the Paul Craig fight at 8-0 after a big win over former title challenger OSP. However, The 31-year-old suffered his first career loss in a gruelling watch. Craig managed to dislocate Hill’s elbow with an arm bar, and with Hill reluctant to tap, the fight carried on for another 30 seconds. Although it went down as a loss, it was a turning point in Hill’s career as it changed his mentality on how he approaches fighting. In a press conference with the UFC, Jamahal talked about how he overlooked Craig’s skill set in the ring, because of how heated the build-up to the fight was. This came as a lesson learned in never underestimating any man standing opposite you in the octagon, no matter the emotional circumstances.
The night ended with Hill and Craig squashing the beef and partying together in Arizona, as seen below. Craig is set to open the main card with a fight against Johnny Walker this weekend. If both fighters pick up wins this weekend, we could be looking at a rematch between the two, but with higher stakes.
Brutal KO Over Johnny Walker
It took just 3 minutes for Jamahal Hill to put Johnny Walker’s lights out at UFC Vegas 48. Hill clipped Walker with a right to the temple, which sent Walker back into the fence, then a heavy follow-up shot ended the fight. This win felt like a big statement from Hill, it was enough to earn him a performance of the night bonus while also being a contender in many knock-outs of the year shortlists. In his post-fight interview, he told the world to “stop doubting, start believing”, which feels more fitting than ever leading up to his title fight this weekend.
Will Jamahal Hill become the first fighter from Dana White’s Contender Series to become champion?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
