Josh Hill Keeping a Close Eye on Bantamweight Grand Prix Ahead of Bellator 284

Josh Hill, Bellator 272
Josh Hill, Bellator 272 Credit: Bellator MMA

On August 12, Bellator Bantamweight Josh Hill will take on late replacement Marcos Breno at Bellator 284, as he hopes to make it back-to-back wins.

The Canadian unfortunately missed out on this years Bantamweight Grand Prix due to catching COVID-19 before his scheduled wild card qualifier bout with Enrique Barzola. In an interview with Cageside Press, Hill detailed his devastation over missing out on the opportunity: “It sucked man, I was really bent. Gearing up I just flew out to California for the camp and I just started feeling sick and thought ‘oh Christ I probably have COVID.’ Of course, it had been two years and it finally gets me.”

“I thought ‘okay whatever you’ll be good in a week,’ but it just lingered and took me four weeks to get back to normal, so there was no way I could train and compete, especially against somebody like Barzola who’s someone with a good gas tank and someone who keeps coming for three rounds. It sucked, it was just bad timing.”

Despite unluckily missing out on the opportunity to get into the Grand Prix, the 35-year-old admitted that he is heading into his Bellator 284 bout with Breno extremely high on confidence due to his beautiful KO win over Jared Scoggins last time out. “When I land, especially with my right hand I can put people out, and especially coming off a loss to get right back in that win column in spectacular fashion against a tough guy, it’s a big confidence builder and I want to use that and take it into this one.” Hill said.

Jared Scoggins and Josh Hill, Bellator 272
Jared Scoggins and Josh Hill, Bellator 272 Credit: Bellator MMA

Hill’s only loss so far under the Bellator banner came against current Interim Bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots. The “Gentleman” confessed that he is definitely keeping a close eye on the culmination of the Bantamweight Grand Prix, with the hope that it may lead to a rematch with “Supa” Stots down the line.

“I’m keeping an eye on it, they’re at the semis now but again, if anybody pulls out put me in. I like Stots he’s a good dude, we partied after our last fight but he beat me so I want to get the chance of redemption and beat him. If I had to pick someone to win it I can see him winning it right now. In an ideal world I win this fight, win one more, I can beat him maybe next year in a rematch.”

Josh Hill faces Marcos Breno at Bellator 284 this Friday, August 12, 2022 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.