The hype for one of UFC 311’s most anticipated bouts is underway, as former light heavyweight champions Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka traded barbs over who had it worse in their unsuccessful attempts to reclaim the gold earlier this year.
Both Hill and Procházka never lost the championship inside the Octagon. They also challenged Alex Pereira earlier this year in attempts to claim the gold but were easily disposed of.
“Sweet Dreams” challenged Pereira at UFC 300, getting dropped and finished in the very first round. “BJP,” meanwhile, was rocked and dropped at the end of the first round in his UFC 303 rematch with “Poatan” before being finished seconds into the second frame.
Procházka recently brought about his criticism of Hill’s fighting style, putting his fighting IQ into question. Hill responded through a YouTube video, taking shots at several of his light heavyweight counterparts, including a response to his upcoming Czech opponent.
Jamahal Hill vs. Ji?í Procházka: Who Got KO’d Worse By Alex Pereira?
“We had the same opponent in our last fight, right? In your last performance, you got dominated and knocked out,” Hill said. “You got dominated, and I got caught. There’s a huge difference. You’ve even got your ponytail leaning to the left. I hope you wear that ponytail in our fight so I can lean it back to the right for you.
“We can compare every performance — while I put on dominant performances, you just survive and scrape by with a win. We’re not the same.”
Procházka won the light heavyweight championship with a submission of Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. However, he vacated the title by the end of 2022 without making a defense due to an injury.
Hill went on to capture the belt with his own victory over Teixeira at UFC 283. Hill, however, was forced to vacate the title, too, after his own injury. That allowed for the initial fight between Pereira and Procházka that headlined UFC 295, with the Brazilian finishing “BJP” there as well.