It’s been almost a fortnight since UFC 300, but the defeated main event challenger has only now remembered who is to blame for his loss. According to Hill, the obvious culprit is the well-known judge Herb Dean, who allegedly failed to do his job.
The last match of the expected tournament brought a rather unambiguous matter. Alex Pereira faced former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill in his first defense. The American wanted to return to the throne, which he voluntarily left due to an injured Achilles, but the champion quickly disabused him and sent him spinning with a deadly left hook after only three minutes.
The fateful moment was preceded by an iconic scene that we will see in clips for a long time to come. Pereira collected a kick to the suspender but didn’t care about the interruption. Herb pushed Dean away with a right hand and in the next three seconds delivered a decisive blow to his opponent’s chin. Hill was reportedly unprepared at the time, not expecting a similarly quick return from the expected layoff.
“I know to protect myself every second I’m in the cage. But I also respect the referee and stop before he gets between us. However, Alex continued and closed the distance. He did it coolly, pushing the referee away and then he was close. It was harsh of him, but I should have defended myself better. However, Herb could also have done better and restarted the match better.” Hill complained in an interview with YouTube channel The Schmo.
“Sweet Dreams” wants to wash away the slight feeling of grievance at UFC 303, where he will face fellow countryman Khalil Rountree. The division’s top eight are riding a five-game winning streak and a scalp of the former champion would be a strong statement for the rest of the division. Jamahal also needs a win because he is driven by the desire to get a rematch with Pereira.
“I went back to the training process immediately after the match. I don’t want to lose a minute and it’s pointless to get back into shape when I’m already in it. A win over Kalil will get me back and allow me a rematch with Pereira. I know what it was like the last time and I believe that I am capable of doing a much better match with him. I don’t care about the title, I just want it because it has a really interesting story behind it.” Hill confessed his desires.
If he manages to get revenge, that’s in the stars. Jiří Procházka, who won at UFC 300, is currently much closer to her.
