Jamahal Hill has defended the UFC 300 main event announcement, which features him against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, against criticism and disappointment from fans, arguing that the fight is a guaranteed banger with serious implications in one of the best weight divisions in the UFC.
Jamahal Hill isn’t taking lightly to the disappointment surrounding the UFC 300 main event announcement. He’s got something to say about it.
UFC 298 wrapped up last Saturday. Dana White, the UFC CEO, dropped the bombshell that UFC 300’s headlining bout would be Alex Pereira versus Hill. It all happened in a whirlwind 48 hours, and Hill’s been keeping tabs on the public’s reaction.
White’s been hyping up a massive matchup for UFC 300 for months. Hill admits the official announcement hasn’t been met with universal applause.
“The reaction’s been a mixed bag,” Hill confessed on his YouTube channel. “Lots of outrage, disappointment. It’s wild to me. Most of these folks are the same ones who’ve been calling me a ‘cry baby’ for the better part of a year. It’s crazy how a stacked card can still get people whining.
“Let’s be real. It’s really, really crying because you had unreal expectations for something.”
Hill feels Dana might’ve overstepped with some comments. But he believes Dana intended to deliver on those comments.
“Anyone who’s followed UFC for some time knows Dana wouldn’t talk big if he wasn’t trying to deliver something mind-blowing. Instead, you got one of the most technical, guaranteed banger of a fights with serious implications in historically one of the best weight divisions in the UFC. And people are complaining.”
The Pereira-Hill bout is expected to bring some order to the light heavyweight division. It’s been chaotic since Jiri Prochazka defeated Glover Teixeira for the title in June 2022. Injuries, title relinquishments, and draws have kept the division in flux. Pereira claimed the vacant title last November with a TKO of Prochazka.
Despite all this drama, Hill knows it’s not enough for some fans. He wonders if any UFC 300 main event announcement would’ve satisfied the majority.
“I saw one comment that said, ‘I was expecting Conor vs. Jesus Himself,'” Hill said. “At this point, I’m convinced nothing would’ve been enough. You could’ve had Mario vs. King Kong, Wolverine vs. Iron Man, Hulk vs. Superman, Spider-Man vs. Batman. And you still wouldn’t have been happy.
“So all I can say about this ‘disappointment’ and it not being worthy of this spot is that’s crazy.”
Hill is determined to reclaim the light heavyweight title after rupturing his Achilles last July. He’s also dealing with legal issues after an alleged assault on his brother.
Despite these setbacks, Hill is ready to compete. He’s been training, sparring, and going full speed for weeks now.
“One of the big questions has been my health, ‘he’s rushing back’ and things like that,” Hill said. “No, I’m not rushing back. There’s been no setbacks, nothing hindering anything. My Achilles is not an issue, it’s not a problem at all. I’m just ready to go.”