Jamahal Hill Sees Room for Improvement Following UFC on ESPN 40 Victory
Jamahal Hill took a major step toward contention with his victory over former title challenger Thiago Santos in the UFC on ESPN 40 headliner, but “Sweet Dreams” nonetheless believes there is plenty of room for improvement.
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The action was fast and furious at times between the two light heavyweights at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and that’s one area that Hill would like to work on. While Hill ultimately outlanded his opponent by an 89-to-53 count in significant strikes, those moments where he engaged in a slugfest could leave him vulnerable.
“[I need to] be a little bit more patient. Don’t get drawn into
that firefight,” Hill said. “I got that dog in me sometimes so I
can get drawn into it so just stay disciplined. Stay
disciplined.”
While Hill and Santos traded wildly at times, “Marreta” also adopted a wrestling-heavy approach that led to him shooting for 20 takedowns in the fight. In the third round alone, he grounded Hill five times, but those efforts took a noticeable toll on his gas tank. In the fourth round, Hill poured it on and earned a stoppage with punches and elbows at the 2:31 mark. Santos has lost five of his last six UFC appearances — but all of those defeats have come against high-caliber opposition.
“I expected a war,” Hill said. “I expected a man that’s been up at the top and fighting in battles at the top, fighting and battling the top guys to not quit. To not back down, to not give an inch in there and to bring it. I made mistakes and he made me pay for them. I’m coming. I don’t stop. I don’t know how to stop coming.”
Hill is in the midst of a three-fight winning streak that also includes first-round knockouts of Johnny Walker and Jimmy Crute. The Dana White’s Contender Series has lost just once — a TKO defeat to Paul Craig at UFC 263 — in seven Octagon appearances overall. Hill now has his sights set on the top of the division, including reigning 205-pound champion Jiri Prochazka.
“I want a shot at Jiri. I’ve been calling for Jiri for about two years now,” Hill said. “I want him. I don’t care if he’s the champion. I’ve got twice as many wins as he does in this organization. I want him.
“I can’t get him, give me the man that used to sit on the throne. I’ll take Jan [Blachowicz]. I’m hungry. I want gold. The lion is hungry for gold. Present or former.”
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