Jamahal Hill snapped back at Magomed Ankalaev.
‘Sweet Dreams’ was non-too-pleased to learn that No. 8 ranked contender Khalil Rountree would be the next man to fight Alex Pereira, challenging the light heavyweight champion at UFC 307 this October.
Hill’s biggest gripe being that Rountree was forced to pull out of a previously scheduled scrap in June after being suspended by the NSAC for the use of a banned substance. Now suddenly he’s rewarded with a title opportunity when he feels there are far more deserving candidates.
Candidates like Magomed Ankalaev who is sitting on a 10-fight win streak and currently occupies the No. 2 spot in the light heavyweight rankings.
Still, you don’t see him crying.
Responding to Hill’s frustration, Ankalaev thinks the former champ should pipe down and do the work put in front of him if he ever hopes to earn another shot at the 205-pound title.
“Why is Jamahal Hill crying? Pereira just made you sleep, get back in the like and work your way up or be ready for Abu Dhabi because Rakic may pull out,” Ankalaev wrote.
Jamahal Hill claps back at ‘Clout Chaser’ magomed ankalaev
Responding to Ankalaev’s comment on X, ‘Sweet Dreams’ delivered a lengthy rebuttal that took aim at the Russian’s failed title opportunity against Jan Blachowicz two years ago and the ensuing comments he made which could be keeping him out of the title picture now.
“I made a reaction video about the Khalil Rountree and Alex Pereira fight announcement and there was one guy in particular who yeah, I will agree he’s been given the run-around by the business right and I’m assuming now, he’s learned his lesson now to watch his mouth ‘cuz as you know, we talking about Mrs, I ain’t even going to, little ‘Frudamed Gankalaev’, ankle grabber, whatever you want to call him,” Hill said on his YouTube channel. “This dude just can’t stop trying to like clout chase in whatever way he can. Bro like, you fought to a draw, you had your chance, you had your chance of winning the title.
“Now, I am one of the people that agree that he should have been next in the title shot above Khalil Rountree, and I spoke on this. But, for you to say like, say I’m crying because I spoke on an obvious fact of the game that affects everybody in our weight class and things like that, I see what you tried to do bro. You see that the whole fan base, they’re kinda against me, they kind of want to throw sh*t on me and sh*t like that.
“You think that you can get some cool points by jumping on that bandwagon and trying to call me out. Stop it bro, stop it bro. I would expect a low IQ move like that from you, you know what I mean. You don’t want to say anything about the fight being announced because you’ve now learned your lesson from the time whenever you lost, talking about you don’t want to fight for the UFC and now they have now smacked your hand and now you know to watch your mouth and stay in check” (h/t MMA News).
Three weeks after Pereira and Rountree scrap in Salt Lake City, the promotion will make its annual pit stop in Abu Dhabi for UFC 308, featuring a light heavyweight clash between top-five contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakic.
Hill thinks Ankalaev’s energy would be better served by focusing on the task at hand rather than picking a fight with him and trying to score some “cool points” with the fans. But if for some reason Rakic can’t make it to fight night, ‘Sweet Dreams’ is more than happy to step in and take care of some “light work.”
“They don’t even like you enough to let you fight [for the title] over the #8 dude! So chill out bro, chill out tryna get cool points bro, focus on other sh*t. You got a fight coming up against Raki?, shout out to Raki? cuz’ he’s very well capable of putting your a** out. But, best believe if my phone ring and they need somebody to come step in and handle you, bro you’re light work for me. You’re light work for me and I can’t wait to show that.”