Off the back of his stunning first round KO loss to dominant champion, Alex Pereira at UFC 300 over the course of the weekend, Jamahal Hill hopes to position himself in a title-eliminator fight against former champion, Jiri Prochazka in his return – claiming he simply “dared to be great” in his return from injury.
Hill, a former undisputed light heavyweight champion and the first Dana White’s Contender Series product to win Octagon gold, made his return atop UFC 300 over the course of the weekend, dropping a devastating loss to Pereira.
Sidelined since defeating the Brazilian’s close friend and training partner, Glover Teixeira back in January of last year, Illinois native, Hill was finished with a brutal left hook from Pereira at UFC 300 inside the opening round, with a slew of follow-up fights forcing a stoppage.
Releasing a statement following the one-sided defeat, Hill claimed that if anyone ever cared, he was fine.
As for Prochazka, the former light heavyweight titleholder also featured at UFC 300, landing a stunning come-from-behind knockout win over fellow European force, Aleksandar Rakic on the preliminary card – rallying to keep his place amongst the championship hopeful intact.
Jamahal Hill calls for Jiri Prochazka clash next
Sharing his thoughts on his loss, Hill sought out an immediate return to contention in the form of a would-be title-eliminator against Czech Republic native, Prochazka – after the pair failed to lock horns amid months of speculation last year, with an achilles rupture forcing Hill to vacate gold.
“I dared to be great against adversity and against a great challenge and came up short at the highest level in the world,” Jamahal Hill posted on is official X account. “I answered the call twice on short-notice to fight for a championship that most will never fight for. On to the next @jiri_bjp least [sic] final [sic] make it happen.”
“To the people that support me I’m good don’t let haters get to you,” Jamahal Hill explained. “I’m winning in life so having to eat a lose [sic] like a man is what it is. They will be quite [sic] when the next man drops.”
Who wins in a future title eliminator: Jamahal Hill or Jiri Prochazka?