Jamahal Hill fired back at haters who misinterpreted his big yawn at the end of last weekend’s UFC 307. After the four-round pay-per-view top bill war between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree, Hill mimed in a nonchalant yawn. Now, sleepy ‘Sweet Dreams’ stood by his boredom but explained why he did it.
The exaggerated yawn was so ridiculous due to Hill’s first-round KO loss to Pereira that it became the talk of the post-fight conference. Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira, the subtle tease he is, dryly suggested maybe Jamahal Hill woke up from his epic April KO. A current diss on Khalil Rountree after UFC 307 would also be over-the-top given Rountree passed where he failed within a round. Now, the once-prodigal champ weighed in:
It’s crazy how y’all see a clip with no context, no nothing, and y’all just be ready to talk sh*t — and attack and come disrespectful as ever, … And I wanna start this off by giving Khalil his props because he showed a level of toughness, a level of preparation that was a question mark for me in this fight for him…No. The yawn was, ‘I’m not impressed.’ I’m not impressed. I’m ready to go. Was it entertaining? Yes. Am I impressed? No. Did I see anything in the cage that scares me or that I didn’t expect to see? No.
Jamahal his on his UFC 307 breakdown Video on his Official YT Channel (@ChampChatPodcast)
Jamahal Hill suffered dual meniscus tears, resulting in his pullout against Carlos Ulberg at UFC 303 later in June. However, while he has said Pereira is the “IT” guy for him, fan cliques just do not get how his mind works. Instead of petty scrounge altercations, big legacy payouts and gold are always a possibility; Pereira is always in a prime spot to provide him with both. However, it’s more about getting back in and winning.
Jamahal Hill says he yawned after Alex Pereira’s win at #UFC307 because he “was not impressed”
He also says that he doesn’t care if Alex loses his next fight, he would still choose a fight against Alex Pereira over a title fight 😳
“I want [Alex] to be as big of a giant in… pic.twitter.com/hUMzgqq8dG
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 10, 2024
Plus, given that Khalil Rountree thinks a ‘Sweet Dreams’ booking is inevitable, he has stuff brewing there too. Hence, he explains in no way did he diss ‘War Horse; or his striking clinic. But Hill won’t sit around waiting for “Poatan” to win or lose. He has now recovered from a knee injury and is ready to get back to work. It’s more about correcting the fallout against Pereira now, not just the gold.
Jamahal Hill wants to settle things with Alex Pereira, even without title on the line
Anyone who thought Hill was bitter because he wanted Pereira to lose doesn’t understand the way he thinks today. Will Jamahal Hill make more money fighting against top PPV draw Pereira? Sure, he will. As a prodigal champ who never lost gold, and a recent title challenger, will it open windows? Again, sure it will. But he is out here just to quench the thirst of knowing he can defeat Alex Pereira.
The Team Black Lion Jiu-Jitsu fighter has in his mind that ‘Poatan’ advanced in his guard and stepped on while Herb Dean had officiated a pause. This is how he explains Alex Pereira got the better of him with a “surprise” southpaw shovel hook in April. An equal part proficient striker, Jamahal Hill thinks he can rectify that after UFC 307. More to it, he’s ready for him.
I’m happy Alex won because I want him to be as big of a giant in your minds as possible the next time I face him, …I don’t care at this point, he can go to Magomed next, if he fights him, and he could lose. That’s still the fight that I want. I don’t want the belt. I want that fight. That’s the fight that I want. Contract is already on the way, name has already hit the desk,” he declared. “Touch ‘em Up University will be in session.
Jamahal Hill firther said on his Official YT Channel (@ChampChatPodcast)
Rightful title contender Magomed Ankalaev is in the running for gold right now. ‘Sweet Dreams’ thinks the 37-year-old would not fare against a wrestle-heavy Ankalaev. Hence, he clarified that his zeal to face Pereira is not about blimp, since he thinks he’ll lose out the gold anyway.
Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) hasn’t competed since his title loss to Pereira. Now, he is ramping up the beef from cageside at Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT, to X space. He says a fight contract is on the way; one war or in any other roundabout way, he is one-minded. He’ll have his match with Pereira soon, and he has clear thoughts on it.
