MIAMI – [autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] and Karate Combat seems like a working recipe, at face value. But apparently, it’s not in actuality.
According to the former UFC fighter Hall, there have been discussions. Ultimately, he sees the ball as being in the promotion’s court. He seems willing to make it work, but doesn’t like what’s come back at him.
“I think they just think I’m just too good for the league,” Hall told MMA Junkie at Karate Combat 52 on Thursday. “That’s the only thing I can think about. Because I’ve spoken to them back-and-forth and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’ I think they think I’ll probably come in and wipe out the entire division and leave. That wasn’t a plan of mine. But I just feel like there’s nobody in here. There’s literally nobody in here. But it’s karate. It’s my background. I’m still puzzled. But they like to d*ck you around, so I’m like, ‘F*ck it.’ It’s stupid. It’s really stupid.”
“… I would love to. I would love. They don’t me because they have issues for some f*cking reason. I’d love to. I reached out to them. But they like to d*ck me around. I’m like, ‘What am I chasing a girl?’ So, whatever. … It would be fun. It would be fun. At the end of the day, I respect any man who comes out here and fights because it takes a lot. But to me, this is not even a competition. … Stop d*cking me around and y’all do it.”
Hall, 40, departed the UFC in 2022. His competition since has been limited to two boxing matches. The first was a unanimous decision win over former NFL star Le’Veon Bell. The second, was a unanimous decision defeat to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.. That fight, Hall does not feel like he lost. Either way, he’s not keen on a boxing return.
While Hall didn’t specifically elaborate on why he felt Karate Combat was not acting appropriately, he did mention the perceived lack of competition as a downside to joining the organization. Hall said the more notable names around his weight would be no match for him.
“There’s nobody in here,” Hall said. “Sam Alvey? You think Sam Alvey can beat me? What’s he going to do? Smile at me to death? Luke. Luke is a grappler. He fought Joe (Schilling) on a week’s (notice). Joe looked decent. This is my league, man. I would kill people in this league. No disrespect to Luke. He knows because we were on a podcast and he was like, ‘Why would I fight you at your best?’ He knows I’d beat his ass in this league. Right, Luke? So he’s going to wait for a division or something where there’s grappling and he can probably take me down and hug me or some sh*t.”
