Jamahal Hill is determined to get a rematch with Alex Pereira and is keen to indicate he’s worthy of it at UFC 311 on Saturday in opposition to Jiri Prochazka.
In a battle of former mild heavyweight champions who suffered losses to Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in 2024, Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will conflict in a battle with excessive stakes at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+)
Hill, specifically, thinks he can be undeniably worthy of a second shot at “Poatan” after he suffered a first-round knockout loss at UFC 300 in April. Hill has taken umbrage with the results of the battle, from him not being absolutely recovered from an Achilles tear to pondering Pereira fought soiled by punching him after waving off a low blow timeout from referee Herb Dean.
UFC and ESPN analyst Din Thomas agrees Hill ought to get a title shot if he defeated Prochazka in a formidable method. Whether or not the end result can be any completely different from the primary assembly, nonetheless, is one other story.
“I believe Jamahal Hill would have deserved it,” Thomas informed MMA Junkie. “I believe he’s a sensible choice for it, when it comes to constructing fights. All people likes to hate Jamahal Hill. I like his combating spirit and I like his confidence in himself – I simply don’t know if he can do it. While you take a look at the final battle, the strain that Alex was capable of placed on him, simply the presence strain. Simply standing in entrance of him and, Jamahal Hill simply appeared like, ‘Woah, I’ve by no means felt this earlier than.’ I simply don’t understand how he alters that.
“Perhaps we’ll see how he seems to be in opposition to Jiri Prochazka, and it would change my thoughts, however based mostly on the primary battle, there’s nothing about that first battle that implies that Jamahal Hill has the flexibility and the skillset to beat Alex.”
Thomas will not be singling out Hill as being inept of beating Pereira. Nobody within the 205-pound division has been capable of cease the Brazilian since he entered the load class and shortly racked up three defenses.
It’s anticipated that Magomed Ankalaev would be the subsequent challenger for gold, however with claims he’s not going to shoot any takedowns and can hunt for the knockout, Thomas thinks his chances are high grim, as effectively.
“Khalil Rountree did the most effective and Khalil Rountree used extra motion and might present a unique type, and he did the most effective in opposition to him,” Thomas stated. “However these different guys don’t have the motion to battle him, they usually’re going to face in entrance of him and get knocked out.”
Take a look at the video above as Thomas and MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn talk about the state of each champion in each UFC division on “The Bohnfire” podcast.
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 311.
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