Jamahal Hill respectfully labels Khalil Rountree as not 'on my level' before UFC on ABC 8
Jamahal Hill respectfully labels Khalil Rountree as not 'on my level' before UFC on ABC 8
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UFC Baku Jamahal Hill previews main event with Khalil Rountree Jr.
Jamahal Hill talks to MMA Junkie ahead of his UFC on ABC 8 main event against Khalil Rountree Jr. on Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Jamahal Hill feels healthy, confident and fully capable of delivering a performance that meets his own standards against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC on ABC 8.
Former UFC champion Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) enters Saturday's light heavyweight main event against Rountree Jr. (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) at Crystal Palace Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan, on a two-fight losing skid that spanned over a difficult chapter in his career.
After claiming the vacant belt in January 2023, Hill suffered a torn Achilles that forced him to relinquish the strap. He returned in stunningly quick fashion in April 2024 to lose against then-champion Alex Pereira at UFC 300, before he suffered a third-round TKO loss to Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311 in January.
There were a number of injuries in the midst of all those fights, as well, one of which postponed a main event date with Rountree Jr. from April 26 to this weekend. Now, "Sweet Dreams" thinks the rough patch is behind him and is ready to get back to the form that previously led to UFC gold being wrapped around his waist.
"I'm just getting back to myself," Hill told MMA Junkie on Monday. "I've grown a lot of sour taste to my name since the injuries, but I still dealt with bad injuries. For more people, an Achilles injury in most sports, that's a career-killer. A lot of people never come back, and they're never the same. I wanted to push my way back to where that thought won't even creep into my mind. Was it the best move for me? Maybe. Maybe not.
"It's my story, and my story is written and I'm writing it as we speak. I just want to being me and feeling the way I feel in there, because I know if I get back to where I was feeling before these injuries, I'm the best in the world."
For Hill, No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, the matchup with No. 8-ranked Rountree Jr. is one where he can show up and show out.
He knows that at this weight class against an opponent like Rountree Jr., who has a proven striking and knockout ability, nothing is given when the door closes inside that octagon. However, Rountree Jr. is the first name in nearly Hill has fought in nearly five years that hasn't been a UFC champion.
"Let's not disrespect him, but I just don't see him on my level," Hill said. "He can hit you with some big shots, and he's never going to stop, and never going to quit and give up. There ain't no back down from him. ... I haven't seen anything from anything that makes me think, 'This dude is on your level.' Is he dangerous to anybody? It's a fight. In a fight, anybody can land a shot, and that makes them dangerous and can change the fight. He has my respect in that regard, but to think skill-for-skill he can match with me? I don't see it that."
Hill's perspective on Rountree Jr. is overwhelmingly positive, and after studying him multiple times prior to finally getting the fight to come to fruition, he knows what needs to be done to get his hand raised.
Doing so is Hill's only mission statement at this point, he said. The future at the top of the division is somewhat unstable, with expectations that champion Magomed Ankalaev will rematch Pereira next.
Hill said he isn't focused on where a win would put him at 205 pounds, because if he fails at UFC on ABC 8, any speculation would be for nought.
"Right now I'm not thinking about titles," Hill said. "I'm not thinking about rankings. I'm thinking about going in and dominating Kahlil Rountree on Saturday night."
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