Pereira vs Hill II?
If I just reached over and hit him right there, I possibly lose out on my next fight… – Jamahal Hill
Earlier this week at the UFC Performance Institute, fighters Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill nearly came to blows in a viral video. Of course, someone happened to be recording the incident, and you can never discount Dana White’s league for wanting to ramp up UFC rumors and hype with a heated rivalry between two of its top fighters.
😳 Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill nearly went full #UFC mode after running into each other!
Tension’s still hotter than a title fight👀🔥pic.twitter.com/gzJRuoVxU3
— LockerRoom RAW (@LockerRoom_RAW) December 6, 2024
But Hill clearly isn’t taking the outcome at UFC 300 well when Pereira knocked him out in the first round in April in 3:14, dropping his MMA record to 13-2 in that battle for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
This angle of Alex Pereira KO’ing Jamahal Hill 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/rMD3AcEdiH
— 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙤💫 (@sinoUFC) June 15, 2024
If you listen to Hill’s take on this week’s incident, he clearly wants another shot at Pereira:
“Initially when I went up to him, it was smooth. ‘Don’t run to heavyweight and I’m going to go ahead and handle business, and we need to run it back!’. And in the exchange, he said something to his translator, and his translator said ‘He said you’re still sleeping, woke up and s***!’. I’m wide awake now! You can get put to sleep for real!”
But the tone changed when Pereira suggested they put the gloves on and go right now, which Hill backed away from since he wouldn’t be getting paid for that. Hill continued:
“I’m not going to ruin my bread because here’s the thing right? If I just reached over and hit him right there, I possibly lose out on my next fight, and any opportunities I have left. Restrictions now at the PI and all these other things… we made a lot of money the first time we fought, so why wouldn’t I make a lot of money when I knock his a** out the next time?”
Jamahal Hill explains how the Alex Pereira altercation went down today 👀 pic.twitter.com/nYGA3Rs8Mn
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) December 6, 2024
Any rematch would have to wait. In recent UFC news, Hill will be fighting Jiří Procházka at UFC 311 in January.
Fans Aren’t Buying It from Hill
Many UFC fans aren’t buying Hill’s confidence he’d do well in a rematch. Many pointed to the first-round knockout from their match in April, and the fact that he quickly backed away once Pereira was ready to put the gloves on this week.
Hill when Pereira threw the gloves at him. pic.twitter.com/AOkLKFWEqu
— Michael Leonhart (@themikeleonhart) December 5, 2024
I think Pereira should just move onto bigger things. Alex Pereira’s record in MMA is now 12-2, and he’s already defended the UFC light heavyweight championship three times in 2024 alone.
He’s on a short list of UFC fighters to hold a championship in two different weight classes as a former UFC middleweight champion.
Pereira isn’t worried about Hill, brushing off the incident in recent interviews. “This is the first time it’s happened to me, but I’m focused on myself, focused on my thing. Right now, he should be worried about his next fight. He has a tough fight with Jiri,” Pereira said.
That’s the right mindset. I don’t think there’s much value to gain from a rematch with someone you already knocked out in the first round. Let Hill keep running his mouth. He’s already been caught in 4K when it comes to fighting Pereira.
Alex Pereira knocks out Jamahal Hill (2024)
📸 @jeffbottari pic.twitter.com/MaUsCjsceh
— Fight Pics That Go Hard (@fightpicsgohard) April 14, 2024
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