Las Vegas, NV – Jamahal Hill is very grateful for Dana White’s Contender Series.
It has been three years since Jamahal Hill received his UFC contract after finishing Alexander Poppeck on season three of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS).
Since then, Hill has competed six times in the UFC, winning five of them and securing a knockout in all but his UFC debut. “Sweet Dreams” headlined his first UFC card in his last outing, and he knocked out Johnny Walker. He will headline his second straight event against former light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos.
On Wednesday, Hill reflected on his time on DWCS and said he owes a lot to that platform.
“It was everything. I’m not here talking to you guys; I’m not having these moments; I’m not getting these opportunities without the Contender Series,” Hill told Cageside Press during UFC Vegas 59 media day. “You know, I remember what it felt like going through everything, and now just looking back on it, it is crazy. It’s like a heartfelt feeling because it’s just like wow, I showed up, and I showed out, and I’ve been continuously following my word of what I said I was gonna do.”
“Like bro, I used to sit and think and watch the UFC. Like mist up in the eyes and tears with my chest pounding at three o’clock in the morning. Just walking, just pacing, bro, just in my head. I can’t explain it. Like I truly can’t explain it. For it to come full circle like this… It didn’t stop here. It only started here. And it’s going.”
Watch the rest of Jamahal Hill’s interview above. UFC Vegas 59 takes place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV, on Saturday, August 6th.
