Tag: Jamahal Hill

UFC on ESPN 31 medical suspensions: Jose Aldo, Rob Font face 180 days for facial fractures

As a result of their UFC on ESPN 31 bouts, Jose Aldo, Rob Font, and five other fighters are facing six-month bans.

UFC on ESPN 31 provided the violence Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but the highlights came with a price.

As a result of potential injuries sustained in their bouts, seven fighters were handed 180-day medical suspensions by the Nevada Athletic Commission, which oversaw the event.

Among those handed six-month terms were featherweight contenders [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) and [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who competed in the main event and suffered eye injuries as a result of their battle.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag], [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag], and [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag], who competed on the undercard, also were suspended 180 days for various potential injuries.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the official record keeper of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC). All fighters’ suspensions can terminate sooner, should they be cleared by a doctor.

Check out the full UFC on ESPN 31 medical suspensions below.

UFC on ESPN 31 video: Jamahal Hill KOs Jimmy Crute in 48 seconds, calls out Paulo Costa

Jamahal Hill rebounded from his first loss in devastating fashion when he finished Jimmy Crute at UFC on ESPN 31.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] rebounded from his first loss in devastating fashion Saturday when he finished [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 31 featured bout.

Hill (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) didn’t need long to find his target early in the light heavyweight matchup, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He dropped Crute (12-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in the opening moments and nearly got a stoppage, then waiting again to land the exact same check right hook to finish the job just 48 seconds in.

Check out the replay of Hill’s brutal handiwork below (via Twitter):

After having his undefeated tainted by Paul Craig in his previous outing, Hill bounced back in brilliant fashion.

“Everyone just doubted me for – I don’t know why – what are y’all saying?” Hill said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “I was just hoping for a good fight. I know Jimmy is a tough dude. He’s unbelievable talented. I just wanted to come out and show myself. Be myself. This is me. This is what y’all get when you see me.

“I heard Paulo Costa is coming up to play with the big boys.”

Up-to-date UFC on ESPN 31 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 31 predictions: Can ex-champ Jose Aldo upset Rob Font?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 31 main card, featuring Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo.

Font
vs.
Aldo		 Fiziev
vs.
Riddell		 Crute
vs.
Hill		 Guida
vs.
Santos		 Allen
vs.
Curtis		 Gall
vs.
Morono
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 200-109		 aldo2021
Aldo
(51%)		 riddell2021
Riddell
(52%)		 crute2021
Crute
(69%)		 santos2021
Santos
(67%)		 allen2021
Allen
(76%)		 morono2021
Morono
(75%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 203-106		 font2021
Font		 fiziev2021
Fiziev		 crute2021
Crute		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 197-112		 aldo2021
Aldo		 fiziev2021
Fiziev		 crute2021
Crute		 guida2021
Guida		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 193-116
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 font2021
Font		 riddell2021
Riddell		 hill2021
Hill		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 192-117		 aldo2021
Aldo		 riddell2021
Riddell		 hill2021
Hill		 santos2021
Santos		 curtis2021
Curtis		 gall2021
Gall
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 191-118		 font2021
Font		 fiziev2021
Fiziev		 crute2021
Crute		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 190-119
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 aldo2021
Aldo		 riddell2021
Riddell		 crute2021
Crute		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 186-123		 aldo2021
Aldo		 fiziev2021
Fiziev		 crute2021
Crute		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 184-125
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 aldo2021
Aldo		 fiziev2021
Fiziev		 crute2021
Crute		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 gall2021
Gall
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 180-129		 font2021
Font		 fiziev2021
Fiziev		 hill2021
Hill		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 gall2021
Gall
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 179-130
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 font2021
Font		 fiziev2021
Fiziev		 hill2021
Hill		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 179-130		 font2021
Font		 riddell2021
Riddell		 hill2021
Hill		 guida2021
Guida		 curtis2021
Curtis		 gall2021
Gall
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 178-131		 aldo2021
Aldo		 fiziev2021
Fiziev		 crute2021
Crute		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 120-73		 aldo2021
Aldo		 riddell2021
Riddell		 hill2021
Hill		 santos2021
Santos		 allen2021
Allen		 morono2021
Morono

The UFC starts to wind down 2021 this week in Las Vegas with a former champion at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 31 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes on former featherweight champ [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) at bantamweight. Font is a -150 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Aldo is +120. But our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are siding with the slight underdog, Aldo, by the narrowest possible margin at 7-6.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at lightweight. Fiziev is a slight -130 favorite, and he’s got an 8-5 edge from our pickers.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at light heavyweight. Crute is a -180 favorite, but he has just a 7-6 lead in the picks.

Longtime fighter [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] (36-21 MMA, 16-15 UFC) takes on [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) at lightweight. Santos is a -180 favorite and has a big 11-2 picks lead.

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) fights [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at middleweight in what is a quick turnaround for Curtis. Allen is the biggest favorite on the entire card at -350, and he’s got an 11-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) at welterweight. Morono is a -180 favorite, and he’s got a big 9-4 lead from our staff pickers.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Aldo (51 percent), Riddell (52 percent), Crute (69 percent), Santos (67 percent), Allen (76 percent) and Morono (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Jimmy Crute moves past odd TKO loss, ready for UFC on ESPN 31 ‘fireworks’ with Jamahal Hill

Jimmy Crute is eager to get back in the octagon after the way his last fight was cut short.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag]’s in-fight injury at UFC 261 was one of the weirdest of 2021. You remember it.

Crute absorbed a hard leg kick in the first round against Anthony Smith, which immediately dropped him and forced a takedown, keeping the fight on the canvas. Crute made it to the bell, but it was apparent just how severe the damage was by the way his ankle grotesquely kept rolling while he tried to walk.

For that reason, Crute (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) suffered his second defeat by doctor stoppage TKO, which snapped a two-fight winning streak. Crute understandably was bitter about the result in the moment but not anymore.

“I look back on it now, and I wouldn’t change it honestly,” Crute said Wednesday during UFC on ESPN 31 media day. “Sort of got taken to school on the job a little bit. I held my own. I felt like if the fight kept going, it could’ve gone a different way. But why live with regrets, man? Just learn from it and move on.”

And so he did. Crute said he suffered only a “little, tiny bit of nerve damage” in his left foot. He said he flew back to Australia after UFC 261 and did his mandatory two weeks quarantine in a hotel, and he was back in the gym sparring afterward.

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Now he can’t wait to get on the right track Saturday when he meets [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] Crute and Hill in a light heavyweight bout at the UFC Apex, which airs as part of the UFC on ESPN 31 main card.

“Super stoked. It’s a great fight,” Crute said. “… I’m super excited for this fight. It’s a good fight for both of us. It’s gonna be fireworks. I know I’m gonna get my hand raised, but it’s gonna be a fun fight while it lasts.”

Crute and Hill (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) originally were booked to fight Oct. 2, but the fight was later rescheduled for Saturday after Australia’s COVID-19 protocols made it impossible for Crute to fight sooner.

The matchup pits the No. 13 (Crute) and No. 14 (Hill) fighters in the official UFC rankings, so from that standpoint it makes sense. The challenge is a big reason why Crute is looking forward to it.

“He definitely has his specialties,” Crute said of Hill. “Striking is his forte, and we’re gonna be prepared for that range he possesses. At the end, it’s just another go at it. I have to work it out when I get in there.”

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Jamahal Hill: UFC on ESPN 31 camp ‘physically, emotionally’ tough after injuries, friends’ deaths

Jamahal Hill has had to overcome a lot of adversity to get back in the octagon at UFC on ESPN 31.

Regardless of the result, [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] stepping into the octagon at UFC on ESPN 31 is going to be a feat.

Hill’s (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) journey to Saturday’s fight has not been easy by any stretch of the imagination. The light heavyweight prospect, who meets Jimmy Crute (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in a main card matchup that airs on ESPN from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, has been through the ringer in more ways than one.

In addition to recovering from a dislocated elbow sustained in his first career loss against Paul Craig at UFC 263 in June, Hill had to navigate through a foot injury during training camp. None of that compares, however, to the tragedies in his personal life.

A quick scan through Hill’s Instagram page over the past five weeks shows him grieving multiple deaths, from a longtime training partner to a former football coach to a musician who Hill repped for his walkout. It hasn’t been an easy experience for Hill, but he said pushing through all the heartache was his only option.

“It has (been difficult),” Hill told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 31 media day. “It has physically, emotionally – yeah. That’s not an option (pulling out of the fight). I’ve got a family to feed, so it is what it is. I’ve got to deal with what I’ve got to deal with and I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. It’s definitely been one of those emotionally type things, just one thing after another. But I’m here and I’m ready to go.”

Although it’s been a challenging time, Hill said he’s been able to keep his focus and drive alive. The matchup with Crute in particular is something he couldn’t turn his nose up at.

Crute has a victory over the only man to beat Hill to this point, and getting back on track against the Aussie will help put things back into place for Hill.

“The fact that he beat Paul Craig, the fact that he submitted Paul Craig – that offers a lot to me,” Hill said. “For me, as a test. I want that. I want that back.”

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Rising contender Jamahal Hill happy to see Glover Teixeira rewarded with UFC gold

Jamahal Hill doesn’t shy away from the mic, but has nothing but respect for newly crowned light heavyweight champ Glover Teixeira.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] doesn’t shy away from the mic, but has nothing but respect for [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag].

Teixeira (33-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC), 42, became the oldest first-time UFC champion in history when he submitted Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267 in October. Hill is a light heavyweight contender on the rise, and although he wants what Teixeira has, he has the utmost respect for the new champ.

Not only did Teixeira make history, but he showed great resolve throughout his career by turning a rough two-year patch (2016-2018) into a six-fight winning streak, en route to winning the title.

“I’m 100 percent a fan,” Hill told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think it was great, I’m happy for Glover Teixeira, I’m happy that he won. That’s a guy that’s been around the game and my man is 42 years old. He’s been paying his dues in the game and it’s good to see somebody like that rewarded with that exclamation point in his legacy, a championship. It looks like he’s not willing to give it up, he’s ready to fight for it and that’s nice because you got a lot of takers want to come take what you got. I’m one of them.”

Hill (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will look to rebound from his first-career loss to Paul Craig when he meets Jimmy Crute (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 31 on Dec. 4. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

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Jamahal Hill confident he has best hands in the UFC: There’s nobody that I haven’t been able to touch at will

When debating the best boxer in the UFC, Jamahal Hill wants his name thrown in the hat.

When debating the best boxer in the UFC, [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] wants his name thrown in the hat.

Hill’s lone loss came in his last outing when he dislocated his arm against Paul Craig at UFC 263 in what was deemed a TKO loss. Hill (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was caught in a triangle armbar and fought hard to get out, but Craig would not let go. His arm was dislocated and Craig kept raining strikes until the referee intervened and stopped the fight.

Prior to that, “Sweet Dreams” was able to live up to his nickname when he sparked Ovince Saint Preux and he has no doubt that he can stand and trade with anyone in the sport.

“That’s across the board,” Hill told MMA Junkie Radio on being the best boxer. “I’ve seen everybody and it’s just what I do, the work I put in, and the things that I know I’m able to do. There are guys that I’m impressed by, there are guys that I learn from. I’m also willing to adapt, I’m also willing to switch things up, change things up. I can change my game up in many different ways, especially when it comes to throwing hands. There’s never been anybody that I haven’t been able to touch at will and there’s never been anybody that just lit me up. I’ve never been lit up before.”

Hill’s confidence hasn’t wavered after suffering his first career defeat. The 30-year-old is looking to pick up right where he left off when he faces Jimmy Crute (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 31 on Dec. 4.

“I think a win here just puts me right back on track,” Hill said. “Right back to where we were before the last result and COVID and everything else that came along with this year. Just get back on track, get back to winning ways and just keep building.”

He continued, “Hopefully me headlining some of these pay-per-views. Bigger bag, bigger check. I’m trying to get up there. I’m just outside the top 10. A win over Jimmy Crute, I’m probably knocking inside the top 10 and just build from there. Everything is going to come, we just gotta stay focused on what we got, what we can control, and that’s winning and dominating.”

Check out the full interview with Hill in the video below.

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Jimmy Crute vs. Jamahal Hill booked for UFC Fight Night on Oct. 2

Light heavyweight prospects Jimmy Crute and Jamahal Hill will battle to get back on track.

Light heavyweight prospects [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] and [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] will battle to get back on track.

After suffering setbacks in their most recent outings (and in gruesome fashion), the promotion has paired Crute (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Hill (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) to clash at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 2. The event does not have an official location or venue.

MMA Junkie verified the booking with a person close to the situation following an initial report from ESPN. the person requested anonymity because UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

Crute is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Anthony Smith at UFC 261 in April. He suffered a leg injury in the first round from Smith’s kicks, and was ruled unfit to continue into the second round.

Hill, meanwhile, suffered a nasty arm dislocation in a TKO loss to Paul Craig at UFC 263 in April, marking the first loss of his career.

The latest lineup for UFC Fight Night on Oct. 2 includes:

  • Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker
  • Bethe Correia vs. Karol Rosa
  • Jared Gordon vs. Joe Solecki
  • Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira
  • Fernando Padilla vs. Sean Soriano
  • Gaetano Pirrello vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
  • Jimmy Crute vs. Jamahal Hill

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UFC 263 medical suspensions: Jamahal Hill, Terrance McKinney and Brandon Moreno face 180-day terms

Jamahal Hill, Terrance McKinney, and Brandon Moreno are potentially looking at six months on the sidelines after UFC 263.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag] and newly crowned flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] are potentially looking at six months on the sidelines after UFC 263.

Hill had his elbow dislocated when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] in the main card opener. Hill refused to tap to a deep armbar and Craig kept cranking on the submission, transitioning to a triangle choke until referee Al Guinee noticed that Hill’s arm was flopping about and stopped the fight.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of the UFC Fight Night 189 medical suspensions handed out by the Nevada Athletic Commission from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Also joining Hill on the sidelines is newcomer McKinney, who scored the fastest knockout in UFC lightweight history when he finished Matt Frevola in just seven seconds. But an elated McKinney stuck his landing from the top of the octagon, injuring his knee in the process. He will require an MRI of his right knee before getting cleared.

Rounding off the 180-day suspension list is Moreno, who picked up a dominant third-round submission finish of [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] to win the flyweight title. Moreno needs his right foot checked before getting cleared by a doctor.

The full list of UFC 263 medical suspensions includes: