Jamahal Hill has his eyes firmly set on UFC 311, where he’ll face Jiří Procházka in a light heavyweight contenders’ match. However, “Sweet Dreams: isn’t just thinking about the Czech star; he’s already envisioning the 205-pound title belt wrapped around his waist.
Hill recently made headlines after nearly getting into a physical altercation with Alex Pereira at the UFC Performance Institute. The incident, which began as a heated exchange, was sparked by their rivalry on social media. The American addressed the confrontation in a YouTube interview with Helen Yee.
“We had an exchange where he said something on Twitter,” Hill explained. “And I just went to go tell him in person, ‘Yo, I’m coming. I’m putting in the work. Don’t run to heavyweight. After I handle this guy, you’re next.’ That was pretty much how it started, and then it went from there.”
The tension escalated quickly, with Hill recounting Pereira’s verbal jab.
“He said, ‘You woke up from UFC 300,’ and I was like, ‘I’m wide awake now and I’m going to put you to sleep for real.’ It was never anything like, ‘Oh, let’s fight right now,’ or nothing like that. It was just competitive talk, and then it went from that to what people saw.”
Reflecting on the altercation, and his decision not to lace the gloves upon Pereira’s invitation, Hill emphasized that he’s motivated by the opportunity to make a statement — and get paid while doing it.
“Like I told him, we don’t need gloves because if we going to fight right here, right now, we just gonna fight. You know what I’m saying? But I get paid. I’m here to make money, and I’mma knock your ass out and I’mma collect a check for it.”
For Hill, a clash with Pereira is the ultimate goal. Frst, he’s determined to handle business at UFC 311 against and make his case for a title shot.
