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Jamahal Hill, the new light heavyweight champion, recently claimed the title by defeating Glover Teixeira in a five-round decision that saw Hill jump from seventh place in the rankings to the top spot. With Teixeira retiring following the defeat in front of a home audience, Hill has positioned himself as a formidable competitor in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA).
Jiri Prochazka, the previous light heavyweight champion who left the belt due to injury, quickly congratulated Hill on his victory and promised to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his as soon as he has recovered. The future of the light heavyweight division remains uncertain, but one thing is for sure - Hill has set his sights on a much larger goal.
Chasing Jon Jones: Hill's Inspiration
In an interview with the "Believe You Me" podcast, Hill shared his aspirations to eventually face off against Jon Jones, who he considers to be the ultimate test in MMA. Hill explained, "Yeah, 1,000% – I want to eventually build to a fight against Jon,” Hill said. “He’s the ultimate test.
He was from the time that I came and decided I want to make this run. At first when it started it was Anderson Silva. He was the man. It was 2010 and things like that, but when he had his injury, I kind of fell off from the sport." Hill's admiration for Jones is rooted in his journey to becoming a top competitor in MMA.
He revealed that at first, Anderson Silva was his inspiration, but after Silva's injury and his own period of hiatus from the sport, Hill shifted his focus to Jon Jones. "That’s another reason why I started working (a day job).
I didn’t see the money in it and all of that, then Conor (McGregor) happened. But Conor got that because he had (Jose) Aldo, who had been undefeated for 10 years. He had somebody to chase. I needed somebody to chase, and this whole time I’ve been chasing Jon.
I’m interested in that fight."
The Future of the Light Heavyweight Division
Whether or not the highly anticipated fight between Hill and Jones will ever come to fruition remains uncertain. Jones has since moved to the heavyweight division, where he is set to face Ciryl Gane for the title, while Hill must first defend his own title against Jiri Prochazka. However, in the ever-evolving world of MMA, anything is possible.