Tag: Jamahal Hill

Daniel Cormier details ‘crazy’ in-cage moment between Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill at UFC 283

Daniel Cormier could feel the tension between UFC champs Jamahal Hill and Alex Pereira in the aftermath of UFC 283.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] could feel the tension between UFC champs [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] in the aftermath of UFC 283.

Cormier, who was the commentator and in-cage interviewer at this past weekend’s event in Rio de Janeiro, got an up-close look at the dominant performance Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) turned in over Glover Teixeira to win the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event.

Hill smashed Teixeira over five rounds to claim a unanimous decision, all while UFC middleweight champ Pereira (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was in the corner with his mentor. It only took a few days after the fight for Pereira to call for a showdown with Hill, and there appears to be mutual interest.

The possibility of the champ-vs-champ matchup doesn’t surprise Cormier, he said, given the interaction he felt between Pereira and Hill at UFC 283.

Alex Pereira has the frame of a 205-pounder – a big 205-pounder – but first, and before he can do any of that Jamahal Hill revenge, he’s got to deal with his weight class,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. He’s got to deal with middleweight. But bro, standing in that octagon with him the other day, after Glover Teixeira was in there retiring, the way he was glaring at the champion was crazy. He was piercing through Jamahal Hill standing there, just stoic. Big old dude.”

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Cormier, a former two-division UFC champion in his own right, thinks Pereira and Hill – who have yet to log a single title defense in their respect reigns – need to focus on divisional contenders at the moment. However, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of seeing them come together down the line, because it would be a must-see showdown.

It’s crazy because Pereira’s got options. He’s got so many prospects for championships. This is a guy that many thought was a weak champ. That’s why Khamzat Chimaev was saying right away, ‘I want to fight him at 185.’ But now he’s got Jamahal Hill speaking his name at 205, he’s got Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker on the docket at 185. He’s got options. And I don’t think I would tune out for any of them. Every guy that this man speaks out, I would tune in to watch him. Right now must be a great time to be Alex Pereira. …

“But did you see how he looked at Jamahal Hill? Those eyes would strike fear in most. One guy that’s no afraid though is Hill. That would be an unbelievable fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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UFC champ Jamahal Hill: I hope ‘my brother’ Anthony Smith gets title shot, ‘even if it is against me’

If friends Jamahal Hill and Anthony Smith end up fighting each other for UFC gold, it won’t be weird.

To be clear, new UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] wants his first title defense to be against Jiri Prochazka, but if the timing doesn’t work out, he’d welcome a fight with his “brother,” [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag].

After all, Hill and Smith originally were slated to meet March 11 until the fight was scrapped in December immediately following Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fighting to a draw at UFC 282. Because that matchup failed to deliver a new 205-pound champ, the UFC turned to Hill and Glover Teixeira for a vacant title fight this past weekend at UFC 283, which Hill dominated to become the first Dana White’s Contender Series alum to earn UFC gold.

Again, Prochazka, the man who had to relinquish the belt Hill scooped up, is who “Sweet Dreams” prefers first and foremost, but there are questions about his timeline to return from a shoulder injury.

So what about Smith, who was tabbed as the UFC 283 backup fighter?

“Nothing would be happier for my brother to get a chance at gold, even if it is against me,” Hill told MMA Junkie. “He’s been around for a long time. He’s been working. He had the hiccup where he broke his ankle, something that was out of his control. Aside from that, he’s been killing it. He put away like three straight contenders, up-and-coming guys, hungry guys.”

Those three wins in a row were against Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute and Ryan Spann, but that was before Smith lost his most recent bout against Ankalaev last July at UFC 277. During the second-round TKO, Smith suffered a broken ankle.

Still, the UFC gave Smith the opportunity to back up the title fight between Hill and Teixeira on four weeks’ notice. Although Smith ultimately wasn’t needed, he failed to make championship weight at UFC 283.

Smith previously fought for the UFC light heavyweight title in 2019 when he lost a unanimous decision to Jon Jones at UFC 235. Hill, who is friends with Smith and trained with him ahead of UFC 283, hopes missing weight doesn’t affect his chance at a second title shot.

“They didn’t exactly give him the most amount of time,” Hill said. “I think they brought it up to him, mentioned, ‘Hey, we could probably use somebody as a backup.’ Then they didn’t officially make him the backup until Christmas or something like that. He was heavy, you know what I mean? Just wasn’t enough time. …

“I hope they wouldn’t hold that weight miss against him just because of the type of notice he had. Plus (he was) coming off an injury, too. People talk about the weight cut. Dude, he just broke his f*cking ankle. (He was) coming off the couch from an injury.”

The way things worked out, Smith’s presence in Rio de Janeiro ended up benefiting Hill, which he’s thankful for.

“Tremendously,” Hill said of Smith helping him before fighting Teixeira. “Him in the back before the fight, just talking, just making sure my head was level and understanding and being ready for just the moment. He helped a lot with that. He said everything and brought everything. He was on point.”

Alex Pereira issues challenge to fellow UFC champ Jamahal Hill: ‘What about knocking me out?’

Alex Pereira wants revenge for his mentor, Glover Teixeira, while chasing UFC double champ status against Jamahal Hill.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] wants revenge for his coach and mentor, Glover Teixeira, while chasing UFC double champ status.

Pereira (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), the current UFC middleweight champion, has expressed interest in moving up to light heavyweight to challenge newly minted titleholder [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag].

The Brazilian appeared in the comments section of Hill’s (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) latest Instagram post, which was directed at injured former titleholder Jiri Prochazka, and issued a challenge to “Sweet Dreams” (via Instagram):

Hill won the vacant 205-pound belt this past weekend with a dominant unanimous decision win that sent Teixeira into retirement. Pereira was in Teixeira’s corner for the fight, and it’s clear Hill caught his attention.

Whether the UFC would be willing to give consideration to Pereira moving up in weight remains to be seen. He won the 185-pound title at UFC 281 in November when he scored a TKO of Israel Adesanya, and all signs have pointed to another fight with Adesanya being his next move.

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UFC champ Jamahal Hill says he’s ‘better than Jiri everywhere,’ wants first title defense vs. Prochazka

Jamahal Hill has the utmost confidence he’d beat Jiri Prochazka in a UFC title fight.

UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] has a name in mind for his first title defense, and it’s a big one.

The newly crowned champ is looking to fight against the man who last wore the belt and who never lost it, [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag].

Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) won the vacant 205-pound title by defeating Glover Teixeira (33-9 MMA, 16-7 UFC) this past Saturday in the main event of UFC 283 in Brazil. The belt had been vacant since Prochazka relinquished it in November after suffering a shoulder injury.

Hill hopes Prochazka can be his first title defense. It’s a big fight and one that “Sweet Dreams” is certain he’ll win.

“I’m hoping that it’s him, because I’ve wanted the Jiri fight for a long time,” Hill told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I know that’s a big fight. The magnitude of that fight would be really great, and I think I win. I think I’m better than Jiri everywhere.”

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It’s uncertain when Prochazka will be fit to return to the octagon. Hill has no problem waiting for a good six months, but if it’s anything beyond that, he’ll just take the next contender in line.

“I’m willing to wait till July, August, but past that I think it’s next man up,” Hill explained. “I don’t think they (UFC) feeling Magomed (Ankalaev) like that just because, you know, the way he responded to the decision of being a draw, talking about like, ‘I’ll never fight for the UFC again.’ That’s not going to get you a title shot, bro. They might put him through another test. I want the Jiri fight, but I’m willing to fight whoever is next man up. I’m here to roll everybody. I achieved my dream, now I’m dream blocking.”

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Jamahal Hill blown away by Glover Teixeira’s durability at UFC 283: ‘I had to go and truly earn this title’

Jamahal Hill praises UFC legend Glover Teixeira after sending him off into retirement following his title victory.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] has many takeaways from his championship win this past Saturday night at UFC 283, but one might stand out above all.

Hill captured the UFC light heavyweight title in dominant fashion by dismantling Glover Teixeira over five rounds in Rio de Janeiro. And in those 25 minutes, many things happened. Hill showed much improvement to his game, became the first fighter from Dana White’s Contender Series to earn UFC gold, and the list goes on.

But something that can’t be left out is that Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) closed out Teixeira’s career as the Brazilian star announced his retirement immediately after the fight. And for Hill, being part of Teixeira’s career was a meaningful moment for him.

“It was an unspeakable honor,” Hill told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “In Brazil, in his home country, to do that and just everything how it happened, it was just incredible, man. It was a moment. And that’s what the emotion was at the end.

“It was an incredible moment, you know. From just the hostility in the crowd to going in and performing how I wanted to perform, and just how tough the fight itself was with him never going away. Yeah, bro, it was just a mixture of all those things. He didn’t lay down. He didn’t give it to me easy. I had to go and truly earn this title.”

The fight was extremely one-sided in Hill’s favor. He won all five rounds on all three judges’ scorecards and close to stopping Teixeira (33-9 MMA, 16-7 UFC) on more than one occasion. Yet, the Brazilian somehow found ways to stay in the fight despite the accumulated damage.

Hill was taken away by Teixeira’s toughness.

“It was a tough fight,” Hill said. “It was a hell of an opponent, legendary, Hall of Famer. The dude’s toughness is understated. He’s not just tough, he was tough, and he was actively doing the right things to try to win the fight. He was still active. He was still throwing. He was still looking to get a dominant position. The entire time, he never once wore the pain of the fight.”

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UFC 283 medical suspensions: 5 main card fighters suffer fractures, receive 6-month terms

UFC 283 wasn’t short on violence and injuries.

The UFC 283 main card wasn’t short on violence as five fighters suffered fractures and received six-month medical suspensions.

Headliners [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag], along with [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag], suffered nasal fractures, while co-headliner [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] suffered an orbital fracture.

MMA Junkie on Monday obtained a list of suspensions from the Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA), which oversaw UFC 283 this past Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

Hill dominated Teixeira to claim the vacant light heavyweight title by unanimous decision; Figueiredo lost his flyweight title to Brandon Moreno after the bout was stopped following three rounds because of his injury; Murphy lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Jessica Andrade; and Craig lost to Johnny Walker by first-round TKO.

Scroll below to see the medical suspensions handed out to each fighter. It’s important to note that fighters can return to competition sooner than the allotted suspension if they are cleared by a doctor.

Video: Is Jamahal Hill the first of many UFC champions from Dana White’s Contender Series?

Did Jamahal Hill’s UFC 283 title win spell the start of a new era of Dana White’s Contender Series fighters who rise to prominence?

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] made history on Saturday when he claimed the vacant light heavyweight title with a dominant win over Glover Teixeira in the UFC 283 main event.

With his unanimous decision win at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) became the first fighter signed to the UFC from Dana White’s Contender Series to claim a championship belt in the octagon, possibly ushering in a new era in the sport.

Is Hill going to be the first of many titleholders to be funneled through DWCS in the years to come? And how is he going to native the messy waters at 205 pounds in his respective reign as champion?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Mike Bohn answered those questions and more with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above. And don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel.

Spinning Back Clique: UFC 283’s new champions, Ngannou’s options, Power Slap, more

Join us for this week’s live stream of “Spinning Back Clique” looking at the biggest news and topics in MMA.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Nolan King will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • Jamahal Hill starts title reign: [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] dominated former champion Glover Teixeira in the UFC 283 main event to become the new light heavyweight champion. He’s the first graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series to become a UFC titleholder. Who else from DWCS can become a UFC champ? And how long can Hill reign as champion?
  • Brandon Moreno starts second reign: In the UFC 283 co-main event, [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] likely wrapped up his rivalry with [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] with a third-round TKO to unify the flyweight titles. Figueiredo is going to move to bantamweight now, he said, and Moreno moved to 2-1-1 in their four-fight series. Was the final fight between the two satisfying? And what’s next for Figueiredo?
  • Breaking down DJ’s pay: Former UFC flyweight champ [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] recently opened up about his pay when he was with the promotion, and it got plenty of scrutiny given how little he said he was making, even while he was a titleholder. Did the UFC promote him properly? What could have worked out differently for “Mighty Mouse,” who now is a ONE Championship titleholder?
  • Francis Ngannou’s next move: Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] is a free agent, and the combat sports world will be anxiously awaiting word of his next move. He seems to have a bounty of options, particularly ones that could be very lucrative. Tyson Fury is interested in boxing him. Will the Jon Jones-Ciryl Gane winner truly be the Baddest Man on the Planet? And did Ngannou make the right move to leave the UFC?
  • Power Slap … is a thing: The UFC-backed Power Slap League started this past week on TBS. The ratings came out, and they weren’t good. And there’s been a bevy of criticism – even from fighters who get their paychecks from [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] and the UFC. Opinions on it have been strong, and we won’t hold back giving ours.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

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Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Jamahal Hill after UFC 283 vacant title win?

Jamahal Hill has a number of potential contenders lining up after he won the vacant title at UFC 283, but which challenger should be first?

The UFC finally crowned a new light heavyweight champion Saturday when he [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] emerged victorious against Glover Teixeira in the UFC 283 main event.

After failing to determine a new titleholder in December after Jiri Prochazka vacated the belt due to injury, Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) got his opportunity and took advantage with a lopsided unanimous decision win over Teixeira (33-9 MMA, 16-7 UFC) at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

The 205-pound title is one of the most storied in MMA history, and now Hill gets his opportunity to start a lineage of his own. But who should be the first to challenge him? There are multiple options in play.

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Hill’s future after winning gold at UFC 283.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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