Former UFC champion Jamahal Hill issued his first public remarks since a knockout loss to Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311.
Jamahal Hill‘s bid to get another shot at UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira hit a massive setback at UFC 311 against former titleholder Jiri Prochazka. In a wild light heavyweight matchup on the UFC 311 main card, Prochazka overcame some early power shots from Hill to finish him in the third round of the fight.
Hill has now lost back-to-back fights by knockout since winning the then-vacant light heavyweight belt at UFC 283. Before UFC 311, he lost to Pereira by first-round knockout after a 15-month hiatus due to injury.
Despite the disappointing setback, and initially taking the defeat hard, Hill quickly turned the page on the loss and even shared a humorous post-fight moment with a Prochazka fan. Two days after a difficult night at UFC 311, Hill addressed his fans and supporters in his first post-fight statement.
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Jamahal Hill reacts to UFC 311 performance in first post-fight statement
In a recent Instagram post, Hill shared a clip of him getting a post-fight drink with Prochazka as he addressed his following for the first time since UFC 311.
“First of congratulations to [Jiri Prochazka] you made great adjustments and gave me a hell of a fight!!!” Hill posted. “I want to thank everybody that reached out with love and support I truly appreciate you all!!! My fire has never burned hotter or brighter for my future and growth!! Fighting against the elite of the elite is an honor and blessing that I don’t take for granted and yes it comes with some hard lessons but this is my journey and I’m going to set the course back right!!!
“Negative and hate are from those that know where they stand beneath you and want to bring you down to their level!! My head is high my heart is full and I can’t wait for my time to shine again Sweet Dreams Nation we move forward and onward!!!”
Prochazka rallied from a short-notice rematch loss to Pereira at UFC 303 last June. Now, he’s made a strong case for a third fight with Pereira, who will face Magomed Ankalaev in his next title defense at UFC 313.
Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka put pre-fight intensity to rest with post-UFC 311 toast
As for Hill, he’ll look to bounce back from consecutive defeats for the first time in his professional MMA career. Before his ongoing losing skid, Hill hadn’t lost since a TKO defeat to Paul Craig at UFC 263, which led to a four-fight winning streak capped off by his UFC 283 title win.
Just days after UFC 311, Hill is beginning to look towards an eventual return to the Octagon, with several intriguing names as potential fits for his next opponent. Khalil Rountree Jr., who Hill was supposed to face at UFC 303 before both sides withdrew for different reasons, is a possible fit after his title loss to Pereira in October.
In the meantime, Hill is still dealing with the grief associated with defeat under a massive spotlight, and his classy post-fight moment with Prochazka shows he’s positively handling everything associated with UFC 311.
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