Longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan called out Jamal Hill's biggest mistake in his fight with Alex Pereira.
"Look at Jamal, after he threw a groin strike, his legs tucked and he relaxed. He showed his thumb and Pereira touched the ref and then the fight resumed. Pereira didn't lose focus. The fight continued, but would it have happened if Hill hadn't shown him the thumb? It was a strange moment, with no one realizing what was going on. But Pereira kept moving forward and shortened the distance. And he shortened the distance much more than Jamal would have let him. That's Jamal's mistake, always protect yourself," Rogan said on his podcast.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamal Hill shared his thoughts on a potential bout between current belt holder Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev.
"I think Ankalaev will be the next challenger. Ancalaev's standup is a problem for Pereira. Pereira doesn't fight well against left-handers. Magomed can also use wrestling and grappling, and he can punch and is comfortable on the feet. I would probably favor Ankalaev in this fight," - quotes the American Middle Easy.
Recall that on April 13 in the main event of UFC 300, Hill unsuccessfully returned to the octagon after a serious injury and a long downtime, losing to Pereira by knockout in the first round.
Jamal Hill, former UFC bantamweight champion, believes referee Herb Dean influenced his loss in his fight against Alex Pereira, the promotion's reigning bantamweight champion.
"The judges tell you to always defend yourself and then they tell you to obey their commands. When that happened, I got the stoppage. The referee said stop before he interfered, that's why I stopped. You could see Pereira further started to approach after that, and I myself at that point was trying to make sure he was okay. I would like to see Hurb Dean's actions be more clear and the stop or continue to be more specific. Next time I'll think about whether I should obey the ref's commands," Hill said on The Schmo's YouTube channel.
Daniel Cormier, former two-division UFC champion and current analyst and commentator, reacted to the news that the promotion's former bantamweight champion Jamal Hill will have his next fight at UFC 303, which takes place on June 30.
"It's a great fight with Rountree. But I'm just wondering, are there no more medical suspensions after you get finished like that? That's the only thing I care about ... But I understand Jamal wants to get right back to work," ESPN quoted Cormier as saying.
It's worth noting that on April 14, Jamal Hill faced Alex Pereira, the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, in the octagon at the UFC 300 anniversary event. The fight, which headlined the tournament, ended with Pereira winning by knockout already in the first round.
Jamal Hill explained in a recent interview why he agreed to return to the octagon at the end of June, even though he suffered an early loss to Alex Pereira in mid-April.
"I didn't take any damage. I remember everything as I was falling, as I looked up and saw his feet. I remember him coming in close and I tried to block him, reach for the underhook. He was able to land a few punches and I floated a little bit, but I was fully conscious most of the time. So, I decided to take the fight. We're moving forward. I'm ready and I'm going to prove myself against Khalil Rountree. He's going to feel everything. He's going to feel all the frustration that I feel because of what happened last week. I'm coming back and I have a goal - I want Alex. I want to get that fight again."