Tag: Jamahal Hill

Dana White on Jon Jones: ‘He could have been the LeBron’ James for UFC

Dana White delivered a backhanded compliment to Jon Jones at UFC on ESPN9.

The rhetoric between Dana White and Jon Jones continued on Saturday night after UFC on ESPN 9.

White and Jones are negotiating payment for “Bones” in a potential heavyweight bout with Francis Ngannou. White has suggested Jones is looking for a huge payday, comparable to what UFC pays Deontay Wilder. Jones, meanwhile, has suggested that is a lie, and has gone so far as to ask White to release the text messages to show it’s not true. After Jones’ most recent comments, White again addressed the negotiations. But he threw in a backhanded compliment of what Jones could have been: A LeBron James figure in MMA.

“I’m always looking at what Jon Jones could’ve been,” White said. “He could have been the LeBron (James) of this sport. He could have been that big.”

Because of failed drug tests and an arrest which have resulted in three suspensions, the UFC light heavyweight champion (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) has had a career fraught with controversy. And so the negotiations for this contract are complicated, with both side accusing the other of lying.

“What do you do?” White said Saturday night. “Who do you believe? It’s up to you guys. What the (expletive) would I lie for? What do I have to gain from lying about it? Why would I lie? It doesn’t matter. You know what I mean? Obviously, he’s fired up right now.”

Though Jones and White haven’t seemed to get along in recent years, UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell has a positive relationship with Jones. Talks between Campbell and Jones have been positive, per White.

“They had a good talk. They had a good talk yesterday,” White said. “Those guys are tight. Jon Jones and I have always had this. … The stuff that’s he been through, to show up and think he basically (demanded) $15 million, or $20 million, or $30 million, it’s crazy. He can do whatever he wants to do. He can sit out. He can fight. He can do whatever.”

[vertical-gallery id=923104]

Jamahal Hill plans on making an eventual highlight of Jon Jones: ‘That has to happen’

Take a look inside Jamahal Hill’s TKO of Klidson Abreu at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] beat Klidson Abreu with a first-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Hill, who stayed unbeaten and got his first UFC finish after a decision in his official promotional debut.

Result: Jamahal Hill def. Klidson Abreu via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:51
Updated records: Hill (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Abreu (15-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Key stat: Hill landed two knockdowns – one early and a second that led to his TKO win.

Hill on the fight’s key moment

“I was looking for it (on the first knockdown), but I’m not going to press the issue to the point of my own demise. If I touched him once, I knew I could touch him again.”

Hill on putting people on notice

“I think I made a statement. I know I’m not somebody to be taken lightly. A lot of people like to play with my name, but keep on sleeping on me and I’ll let the doctor wake you up. I feel like I had an advantage everywhere. I trained everywhere. I’m just getting started – people don’t understand. When they really see everything I can do, they’ll get the picture.”

Hill on what he wants next

“Right now, I’m just putting my footprint down in this game. And whenever it’s time for me to step up and highlight Jon (Jones), I’ll step up and highlight Jon. I definitely feel like at some point in my career, that’s something that’s got to happen. For me, that’s something that has to happen.”

To hear more from Hill, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

[vertical-gallery id=523069]

[vertical-gallery id=523096]

UFC on ESPN 9 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $33 million

UFC on ESPN 9 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 9 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $114,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 9 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 9 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Blagoy Ivanov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brok Weaver[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Antonina Shevchenko[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $3,500
df. [autotag]Gabriel Green[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Klidson Abreu[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Louis Smolka[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,063,500
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $33,068,000
[vertical-gallery id=523069]

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 9 with Kanye, Nipsey and DMX

See what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 9 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 9 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12

Video: Jamahal Hill crushes Klidson Abreu at UFC on ESPN 9 – and gets Halle Berry’s attention in the process

Jamahal Hill on Saturday got back to the kind of performance that got him a UFC contract in the first place.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] on Saturday got back to the kind of performance that got him a UFC contract in the first place.

Nearly a year ago, Hill didn’t impress UFC president Dana White all that much in the first five minutes of his Contender Series fight against Alexander Poppeck. But in the second round, he turned it on big time and won White over to get a UFC contract stemming from his TKO finish.

He made his official UFC debut in January and outworked Darko Stosic for a light heavyweight win. But Saturday at UFC on ESPN 9 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Hill (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was devastating against Klidson Abreu (15-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) for a first-round TKO win.

Hill knocked Abreu down early, then settled in and kept the pressure on. After his second knockdown, he made sure to finish the deal and put Abreu out less than two minutes into their fight on the prelims.

[lawrence-related id=522983,522987,522910]

It was strong enough of a performance that UFC analyst Daniel Cormier told Hill in their post-fight interview that Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry texted White to tell him that Hill was “fire.”

And that’s not a bad night at the office no matter how you cut it when you get the attention of one of the greats in film history. (Seriously: Have you seen “Monster’s Ball”? It’s ridiculously topical right now in America, and also a ridiculously moving Berry performance.)

Check out Hill’s finish below.

[vertical-gallery id=523069]

[vertical-gallery id=523096]

Contender Series watch: Meet the nine DWCS alums set for action at UFC on ESPN 9

Take a look at the nine Dana White’s Contender Series alum that will be competing on this Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 9 card in Las Vegas.

The UFC on ESPN 9 card features nine fighters who previously have competed on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Not all of them earned contracts from their appearance on the show, but those who didn’t certainly remained on the UFC’s radar until they eventually got the call.

Some of the former Contender Series athletes will get to revisit a familiar place when they compete Saturday at the UFC Apex, which has been the home of the talent-finding series since Season 3.

Here are the nine Contender Series alums who will be in action Saturday:

Augusto Sakai (vs. Blagoy Ivanov)

[autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag] earned a UFC contract on the first edition of Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil in 2018 when he stopped Marcos Conrado Jr. in the second round.

Since then, Sakai (14-1-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has scored three big wins over Chase Sherman, Andrei Arlovski and Marcin Tybura, earning a spot in the UFC’s top 15 heavyweight rankings as a result.

He will take on Bulgarian veteran Blagoy Ivanov in the co-main event as he looks to establish himself as one of the rising contenders in the division.

[vertical-gallery id=442217]

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9

UFC adds Klidson Abreu vs. Jamahal Hill to May 23 event

The UFC has booked a light heavyweight fight between Jamahal Hill and Klidson Abreu for May 23. The location is TBD.

A light heavyweight matchup is on tap for the UFC’s May 23 event.

Brazil’s [autotag]Klidson Abreu[/autotag] will return to action to take on UFC sophomore [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]. The fight will be a part of the promotion’s fourth of four events scheduled to take place in 15 days.

Saturday, a person with knowledge of the booking informed MMA Junkie of the plan. The person asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Fighting was the first to report the booking.

While the UFC is hosting events in Jacksonville, Fla. on May 9, May 13, and May 16, the May 23 event does not yet have an official location.

Hill (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns to action for the first time since a successful UFC debut at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in January. That night, Hill defeated Darko Stosic by unanimous decision.

As for Abreu (15-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC), the 27-year-old fighter will look to punch his ticket back into the win column. After splitting his first two UFC outings, Abreu lost a close November 2019 split decision to Shamil Gamzatov. Abreu was previously booked to fight Gadzhimurad Antigulov as part of the UFC’s June 13 debut in Kazakhstan, prior to the global coronavirus outbreak.

With the addition, the UFC lineup for May 23 includes:

  • Hannah Cifers vs. Mackenzie Dern
  • Klidson Abreu vs. Jamahal Hill

[vertical-gallery id=423902]

[vertical-gallery id=514469]

Jamahal Hill unhappy with UFC Raleigh win over Darko Stosic

Take a look inside Jamahal Hill’s unanimous decision win over Darko Stosic at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. – [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] beat Darko Stosic with a unanimous decision Saturday to open up the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh, N.C.

Take a look inside the fight with Hill, who came to the UFC from Dana White’s Contender Series and won his official promotional debut.

Result: Jamahal Hill def. Darko Stosic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Jamahal Hill (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Darko Stosic (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Key stat: Stosic landed six of his nine takedown attempts, but Hill’s but 102-32 striking edge made the difference.

Hill on the fight’s key moment

“My game plan was to just beat him down and break him. He didn’t break, though – he’s a tough dude. He was fighting for a lot out there. He was fighting for his UFC life.”

Hill on DWCS getting him ready

“I’m not a really nervous fighter, but the experience from the Contender Series definitely helped a lot with preparing me for this week. I take something from every fight, and just keep building toward the champion I want to be. You never know with the judges, so I wasn’t happy I left it in their hands. I’m frustrated with myself, but I’m just going to come back better.”

Hill on what he wants next

“I’m happy that I got the win, but I feel like I should have performed a lot better. I expect a lot more from myself. I’m going to get back to the gym and get on it tough and hard. I wanted a finish. I should have finished him and should have put on a much better show for these fans.”

To hear more from Hill, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

[vertical-gallery id=483700]

UFC on ESPN+ 24 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Raleigh, N.C.

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the newcomers perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.

* * * * *

Jamahal Hill

Division: Light heavyweight
Result: Jamahal Hill def. Darko Stosic via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Record: 7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC
Grade: C-

Long and lean at 205 pounds with a slick southpaw jab, [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] used his physical gifts to outpoint gritty grappler Darko Stosic over three rounds in the main-card opener, but his performance showed that the 28-year-old still has much to work on if he plans to make a dent in the UFC’s hard-hitting light heavyweight division.

First, the positives: Hill showed a consistent, accurate jab and followed up with sharp, straight left hands to keep judoka Stosic at arm’s length for much of the bout as he landed more than 100 strikes. He also showed a decent gas tank and good athleticism as he comprehensively outstruck his opponent over the three-round duration.

But while his strikes looked slick and his reflexes seemed sharp, the bout highlighted some technical issues that will certainly need attention as he looks to move up the ranks at 205 pounds. Hill carries his chin pretty high, and his low lead right hand leaves the door wide open for a left hand counter that a harder puncher than Stosic might have exploited.

On the flip side, Trevor Wittman noted during the ESPN+ broadcast that Hill was tuned into his coaches’ instructions during the fight and was switching up his attack when called upon. That’s certainly a big positive for such a young fighter and shows he isn’t too caught up in the moment when he’s in the thick of the action. But he’ll need to tighten up his hands from a defensive perspective as he starts to face a higher class of opposition in the UFC.

In conclusion, there’s plenty to work on, but there’s also plenty to be encouraged by. It might take a few fights and some noticeable improvements before he gets moved up in competition, but there’s certainly something to work with moving forward.

[jwplayer dU2JGevU-RbnemIYZ]

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

UFC on ESPN+ 24 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Three veterans take home $20k

UFC on ESPN+ 24 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $169,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN+ 24 took place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 24 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Darko Stosic[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Bevon Lewis[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Dequan Townsend[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Felipe Colares[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Lina Lansberg[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Tony Gravely[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $334,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $31,338,500