Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill is eager to earn another crack at Alex Pereira.
Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) will get his opportunity to shine in the first pay-per-view event of the year when he takes on fellow former titleholder Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311.
“We’ve been on a collision course for some time now, and now it’s our time to meet and see who takes that next step forward,” Hill told WOOD TV8.
That next step is likely a shot at the UFC title. In the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, Hill holds the No. 4 spot, and Prochazka No. 3. Magomed Anklalaev sits at No. 2, and they’re all gunning for the champ.
Hill had his chance against Pereira in the main event of UFC 300. For “Sweet Dreams,” it wasn’t the best of circumstances given he was returning from a ruptured Achilles, which prompted him to vacate the title in July 2023.
“I don’t like to make excuses, but was I 100 percent where I needed to be as far as the injury goes? I mean, anybody who’s had an Achilles surgery or knows anything about Achilles surgery, nine months isn’t ideal,” Hill said. “But ultimately, I took the fight. I banked on myself and went in there ready to fight. So, what happened, happened.”
Hill was stopped by Pereira in the first round after “Poatan” connected with a left hook. Immediately after the loss, Hill offered an interesting persepective on the loss and took umbrage with Pereira’s celebration. He also recently confronted Pereira at the UFC PI in Las Vegas, nearly escalating to an impromptu fight.
Reflecting on the sanctioned fight against Pereria now, Hill sees it as a lesson to be more aggressive.
“My takeaway from that is just be more gritty as a competitor,” Hill said. “People are out here for their dreams and that comes with a certain edge and attitude with it. It’s not that I didn’t know that, it’s just that it was just a really, really painful reminder of that.”
Perhaps most important, Hill says he feels like his body is in a great place heading into the fight against Prochazka, as he puts his Achilles and knee injuries in the rear view.
“I’m extremely hungry to get back,” Hill said. “I’m feeling better. I’m feeling closer to where I was pre any of the injuries. It’s all starting to come back together, come back into form, and I’m just excited to get back in.”
“… I’m in a good spot. The bounce in my legs is coming back very, very well, and I haven’t really thought about my Achilles for a while now. The knee injury has not been as bothersome. I feel like we’re in a really good place to come out and put on a great performance.”
