Jamahal Hill has high hopes for future opportunities.
“Sweet Dreams” checked off a big career goal at UFC 283 earlier this month (Jan. 21, 2023), defeating Glover Teixeira to become the new UFC Light Heavyweight champion (watch highlights). It’s been a wild saga for the division’s title since its long-time owner, Jon Jones, parted ways for the Heavyweight division in Feb. 2020. Despite Jones’ transition officially coming to fruition on March 4, 2023, Hill still eyes a future showdown with “Bones.”
“It’s never stopped crossing my mind, 1000 percent,” Hill told James Lynch of a Jones match up. “I still got some building to do, right? I still have defenses I have to make and things like that. But is that a challenge I want for the future? Yes, it is.”
Jones’ vacating of the title led to a revolving door of champions, starting with Jan Blachowicz. Including the Pol, four total fighters have held 205-pound gold since Jones did, which is double the number of champions there have been dating back to 2011 when Jones first won the title against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
While Jones will enter uncharted waters against Ciryl Gane in his Heavyweight debut at UFC 285, Hill doesn’t expect a competitor of the all-time great’s nature to struggle with any size differences.
“Jon knows, he’s been in the gym. He’s not just going with small guys, he’s had some Heavyweight looks and things like that,” Hill said. “So, he knows the power and the strength and those things he’s dealing with, he knows that. Jon’s not stupid. I think he’s already simulated that and accounted for that. But a fight is a fight still. As far as things like that, I don’t apply things like that to Jon.”