Former champ meets former title challenger. That’s the main event of UFC Baku this Saturday, where Jamahal Hill, the promotion’s former light heavyweight champ, meets Khalil Rountree Jr., a recent title challenger.
Hill and Rountree have been booked twice before, at UFC 303 last year, then again this past April. It seems the third time’s the charm, and Hill has certainly had time to think about what he’ll see in the octagon this Saturday.
“I’m expecting a hard fight. I’m expecting him to come with everything. He wants to get back in there, fight for another championship,” said Hill (12-3, 1NC) during this week’s media day, noting that Rountree “fell just short” in his title fight against Alex Pereira last year. “I can only imagine the type of fuel that gives you. So I’m expecting him to come with everything.”
Asked where a win over Rountree would put him in a division currently headed up by Magomed Ankalaev, Hill dismissed the question. “I’m not really concerned with that right now. My only concern right now is just making sure I get the win.”
Truth be told, Jamahill Hill is fighting down the rankings on Saturday, if only because of a lack of options. He enters the UFC‘s debut in Azerbaijan off a loss to ex-champ Jiri Prochazka, the #2-ranked light heavyweight, and has already been turned back by fellow ex-champ Alex Pereira, who sits ranked #1. With Hill at #4, the only name ahead of him outside of the champ is Carlos Ulberg, who would almost certainly have the next title shot were a rematch between Ankalaev and Pereira not still a possibility.
Hill later addressed comments by Khalil Rountree Jr. saying he wasn’t expecting to be bloodied in the fight. “If he’s not expecting to have any blood, then he’s not really ready for war. He don’t really understand what’s in front of him. He can expect that but when I open his face up and he starts to see it, we’re gonna see what he does and how he reacts then.”
“This guy gets hit more than he hits anybody. That’s literally a stat of his whole career. That’s a wild statement, that’s wild. But he’s said a lot of delusional things.” Hill believes Rountree is “hanging his hat” on lasting longer against Alex Pereira than Jamahal Hill himself. “We have other common opponents. One that I knocked out, one that knocked him out. So it’s like, it is what it is. Whatever he has to do to sleep at night, whatever he has to do to get himself up to fight and get in there, I’m good with it. It is what it is. He’s already made up a fake beef with himself. F*cking weirdo.”
Watch the full UFC Baku media day appearance by Jamahal Hill above.
