Jamahal Hill doesn’t fight for free.
For most of 2024, Hill has been embroiled in a one-sided feud with UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. After Pereira knocked Hill out in the first round of their UFC 300 title fight, “Sweet Dreams” has continued to chirp at “Poatan,” disputing the circumstances of the finish and calling for a rematch. And on Thursday, Hill nearly got his rematch as the two almost came to blows during an altercation at the UFC Performance Institute. Ultimately, nothing untoward happened, and hours later, Hill addressed the incident on his YouTube channel.
“I was at the P.I. earlier and Alex was there,” Hill said. “I had just finished working out, he was working out, and I just went to go up and have a conversation. Ask him, so we don’t have to talk about it across Twitter, because I’m right here.
“Initially, when I went up to him, it was smooth. ‘Don’t run to heavyweight. I’m going to go ahead and handle business, and then we need to run this back. We need to run it back.’ And somewhere during the exchange, he said something to his translator, and his translator said, ‘You’re still asleep. You just woke up,’ and shit. I’m wide awake now! You can get put to sleep, for real!
“Then it went to a whole, fake-ass, ‘Come get the gloves and go in the cage,’ which I replied, ‘What the f*ck we need gloves for? We’re not getting paid right now.’ I get paid to put on gloves and fight. When I’m out in a situation like that, we could throw hands right now. I’m not fixing to wait, take time, put no gloves on, none of that shit. We could just throw hands right now. ...
“And his response was just to stand there, so it’s like, f*ck it.”
And according to Hill, he prefers it this way. As the main event of UFC 300, Hill says he made a goodly sum of money to fight Pereira, which is exactly what he wants when they do inevitably run things back.
“We’re going to get paid,” Hill said. “I’m not going to ruin my bag, my bread. Because here’s the thing, if I’d have just reached over and hit him there and we started fighting right there, I could possibly lose out on a fight my next fight and any opportunities I have left. I’ve got restrictions now at the P.I. and other things like that. So, we get paid. We made a lot of money the first time we fought. So why would I not make a lot of money when I knock his ass out the next time?”
“At the end of the day, we’re both just fierce and ferocious competitors, and we’ve both got families that we’re trying to provide for,” Hill added. “So any talk that’s done right there, it’s not going to be looked at the same because we’re in the same job.”
Of course, Hill has other fish to fry before he can start thinking about a rematch with Pereira, as he meets fellow former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311 on Jan. 18.
Fight? Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill got into a heated confrontation at UFC Performance Institute.
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Between the Links!
UFC 310 presser face offs.
Full UFC 310 presser.
Shavkat Rakhmonov interview.
UFC 310 Embedded, episode 4.
The best finishes of Kai Asakura’s career.
Kazakh Fight Feasts!
Jorge Masvidal lobbying for Leon Edwards.
@leonedwardsmma in London.
— Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) December 5, 2024
Shop link https://t.co/qPZBCHOx87 pic.twitter.com/cScoRxqaTK
Oh, weight-cutting.
I could eff up some NY pepperoni, honey pizza right now.
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 5, 2024
Pizza, Jamaican beef Pattie’s with Jamaican cheese, oxtail, curry goat,
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 5, 2024
When you gotta get skinny the food cravings hit real different
Man believes in himself.
Money moicano - 160 free money this is like welfare #ufc
— Renato Moicano (@moicanoufc) December 5, 2024
Yes. Yes it is.
Plus Beneil vs Moicano
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) December 5, 2024
This card is gonna be crazy https://t.co/9dxxyglhJP
I’ve never had a lot to say on Jamahal Hill
— DT (@darrentill2) December 5, 2024
He’s always took on the best of the best and he’s always beaten the best of the best
He got caught against Alex plain and simple
The better man won on the night
Do I believe he can beat Alex?
Yeh he’s got a fair chance I’d say 65-35…
Max Holloway only being 33 is kinda insane.
Thank you all for birthday love yesterday really means a lot! The blessed express is on to the next stop. Year 33 pic.twitter.com/P3Hq4oMZGq
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) December 5, 2024
Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) vs. Renato Moicano (20-5-1); UFC 311, Jan. 18.
One more sleep!
On paper, I think UFC 310 is the third best MMA card of 2024 (behind UFC 300 and UFC 299). I know the main event doesn’t have the same weight as some might want, but top to (almost) bottom this card is filled with bangers. Enjoy it!
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