Ever since Alex Pereira defeated Khalil Rountree at UFC 307, Jamahal Hill has repeatedly mentioned he’s on a special degree than Rountree. On Saturday, Hill will get the prospect to show it, and Rountree can show him flawed.
Rountree and the previous champ Hill headline Saturday’s UFC Baku occasion, which airs on ABC within the U.S. Rountree competes for the primary time since his wild combat with Pereira, whereas Hill is coming off back-to-back stoppage losses to Pereira at UFC 300, and, at UFC 311 in January, Jiri Prochazka.
Forward of the combat, Rountree was requested about Hill’s ranges feedback.
“I imply, if I recall appropriately, he mentioned the identical factor about Alex, and he mentioned the identical factor about Jiri and it simply didn’t match,” Rountree instructed MMA Combating. “What was mentioned simply didn’t match. I simply strive to not pay an excessive amount of consideration to it. I believe that, for me, the precedence is ensuring that I’m at my finest when that cage closes and the ref seems to be over and asks me if I’m prepared, and I’ll say with conviction, ‘Sure.’ And the whole lot else after that’s the means that it’s imagined to be.
“So, yeah, I believe if I had been to consider it, yeah, I believe he really does consider that he’s extra expert. However like I mentioned, I’ve heard it earlier than, and I’m ready for the for the very best model of Jamahal Hill.”
Hopefully the third time’s the appeal for Rountree vs. Hill as the 2 earlier bookings fell aside. They had been initially scheduled to compete at UFC 303 earlier than Rountree was briefly suspended for a banned substance. After Rountree fought for the title, and Hill’s loss to Prochazka, they had been slotted in to headline UFC Kansas City in April — this time, Hill was compelled to withdraw because of harm.
Whereas the sunshine heavyweight division is at the moment in an odd place, Rountree felt ready for Hill was the very best name.
“It solely made sense as a result of that is the combat that I used to be already making ready for,” Rountree mentioned. “There’s so much that goes into making ready for a combat, particularly when you’ve gotten an opponent locked in, and I believe that a win over Jamahal Hill simply sort of solidifies that I belong, that I nonetheless belong up right here.
“There wasn’t too an excessive amount of thought in it. It was identical to, ‘Hey, let’s preserve issues as they’re, I don’t thoughts ready just a little bit extra, we’ve already ready for this man, so let’s simply give it just a little bit extra time and the whole lot will work out.’”
Magomed Ankalaev now holds the UFC mild heavyweight title, however has but to have his first official title protection booked. The UFC may actually do a rematch between Anakalaev and Pereira, however ought to that not be a viable choice, the winner of this combat may actually slide into one other likelihood to combat for the title.
“Yeah, I believe so, however I strive not to concentrate to a variety of the riffraff and what’s happening within the division,” Rountree mentioned. “I’ve bought a combat to give attention to in entrance of me, and as soon as this one’s executed, then I get to sort of take into consideration what’s subsequent and who I’ll be gunning for.”
