[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] thinks the [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] rematch is going to stall the light heavyweight division.
UFC light heavyweight champion Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is rumored to run things back with Teixeira (33-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) in December, which Hill thinks is too far away.
Prochazka dethroned Teixeira in a back-and-forth war at UFC 275 in June. Prior to submitting Teixeira late in Round 5, Prochazka was down on two of the three judges’ scorecards and thought it was only right to rematch Teixeira. Hill is all for Teixeira getting a rematch, but not six months later.
“It’s what we expected, but damn, December? A whole year of fighting the same f*cking person,” Hill said in an interview with Sportskeeda. “Yeah, I want it – don’t get it wrong. I’m cool with Glover getting the rematch. I wanted Glover to get the rematch. But I thought they would’ve at least got it out of the way by like the fall or some sh*t. Like, Dec. 10, that’s what? It’s like four months (away), and when’d they fight? They fought in May, right?
“So they fought three months ago and now you need a four-month camp? Come on, bro. Now, when it comes to sh*t like that, that is when immediate rematches start to become a problem, especially when you only had one and you lost in your first defense. That’s when those start to become a problem, because now, what about the rest of the division? I’m just sitting here now at No. 6. Now I have to just sit here pretty much or fight (opponents) behind me, which I’m supposed to fight behind me multiple times? Yeah, that’s irritating.”
Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) called for a title shot after he finished Thiago Santos this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 40. He admits he was just shooting his shot, but with Magomed Ankalaev angling for Jan Blachowicz, Hill thinks he might be left out of the picture.
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“I want the title shot,” Hill said. “I just put my name out there to let them know I’m ready and that’s what my aspirations are. Do I think that’s what I’m going to get right now? No. I see the line. I see where it’s at. That’s why that date in December pisses me off, because now we know the rematch is happening.
“But I also know that Magomed has first crack at Jan. The winner of that has the first crack at whoever wins that fight (between Prochazka and Teixeira). And so I’ll have to win another fight and then – you know what I’m saying? And then when is that going to be? The end of next year? Yeah, that’s irritating.”
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