5 reasons why Jamahal Hill won’t be a long-reigning UFC champion

On January 21, Jamahal Hill achieved his lifelong dream of finally capturing UFC gold. 'Sweet Dreams' has been adamant that he is the world's best light heavyweight for some time now. At UFC 283, he went someway to proving it with a dominant win against former titleholder Glover Teixeira.

Now that he sits on the divisional throne, Jamahal Hill will have to fend off a group of challengers that he was once a part of. Defending champions come in many shapes and sizes. Some successfully pushed back those who looked to steal their titles, while others failed to record even one successful title defense.

As for the new 205-pound kingpin, he might defend his title once or twice. Unfortunately, he's unlikely to be a long-reigning champion, and this list details five reasons why.

#5. Jamahal Hill is very hittable

Air-tight defense is a rarity in MMA. All fighters get hit at some point. Some fighters, however, mitigate how frequently they absorb their opponents' strikes. Israel Adesanya, for example, is rarely hit due to prioritizing the defensive aspects of his counter-striking style. This isn't the case with everyone.

Some fighters are so offensively-minded that whether they're hit or not is an afterthought. Former champion Jiří Procházka is one such fighter. Current champion Jamahal Hill is another. 'Sweet Dreams' absorbs a lot of damage in many of his bouts.

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Prior to facing Glover Teixeira at UFC 283, he faced another Brazilian in Thiago Santos. Before their clash, 'Marreta' had lost four of his last five bouts. yet he managed to force 'Sweet Dreams' into a bloody brawl. Even in his dominant win against Texeira, Hill sustained far more damage than he should have.

This habit of taking damage in every bout doesn't bode well for his long-term future in the division. Damage accumulates over time, and he'll eventually get to a point where he can no longer take the shots he was once capable of.

#4. Jamahal Hill's foundation is his athleticism

While he might not look like he's extremely athletic, Jamahal Hill is one of the best athletes in his division. The 205-pound king is taller than everyone else in his division besides Johnny Walker. He stands at six feet four inches in height and is tall enough that he wouldn't even be out of place at heavyweight.

Jamahal Hill's power is absolutely NO joke 👊💥

He can claim light heavyweight gold at #UFC283 Saturday! https://t.co/Rv7iv1kre2

Furthermore, he possesses an above average reach with 79 inches. This leaves his arms in a sweet spot that enables him to be long enough to dictate the range in his bouts, while simultaneously rendering him capable of exchanges in the pocket. Additionally, he is both highly explosive and exceptionally powerful.

By combining his athleticism with basic boxing fundamentals and the odd kick, 'Sweet Dreams' has achieved great success. Unfortunately, this will only last him for so long.

Athleticism declines with age. The older he becomes, the less effective he'll be as a fighter. Thus, his style isn't designed for a long-term title reign.

#3. His grappling is still muddled with issues

Jamahal Hill was forced to answer several questions about his defensive grappling at UFC 283. Curiously, 'Sweet Dreams' proved that his grappling is somehow better but also worse than many expected. Rather, his defensive grappling is simultaneously worse but more effective than predicted.

When Jamahal Hill and Glover Teixeira grappled on the mat, some interesting sequences took place. First, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist was able to secure dominant positions fairly easily, which is worrisome for the Chicago native's future in defensive grappling.

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COMMENT JAMAHAL HILL A AUTANT PU RÉSISTÉ DANS CETTE POSITION
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Second, 'Sweet Dreams' was able to power his way out of poor positions by relying on his athleticism. After Teixeira secured the mount position on the mat, Hill was strong enough to lift him and create enough space to slide through his foe's legs.

Relying on one's athleticism and strength for the purpose of defensive grappling is concerning. Not only does it cause Hill to tire himself quicker, it might open him up to counter-submissions against a more offensive grappler.

#2. Jamahal Hill's cardio

Cardio can make or break fighters. Some fighters achieve success purely off the strength of their cardio. They wade through their foe's offense and simply wait for their opponent to tire before they do. Despite being a less skilled striker than Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz overcame him in their initial matchup due to cardio.

Similarly, a lack of cardio can undercut the success of an otherwise highly skilled mixed martial artist. For example, Yoel Romero was one of the greatest wrestlers in UFC history. He was an Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling but rarely ever used his greatest skill set in any meaningful way due to his fear of tiring out.

The UFC has a NEW light heavyweight champion!

Jamahal Hill puts on a clinic over five rounds to defeat Glover Teixeira and claim the title.

A dominant victory.

👑

#UFC283 https://t.co/k9Ji6Sa6H3

The glimpses he showed of his wrestling skills against Thiago Santos were telling. While Jamahal Hill's cardio isn't that poor, it's poor enough that he is visibly tired by the third round. Against Glover Teixeira, he was tired enough in the fifth round that he refused to engage his foe altogether for the last few minutes.

If he faces an opponent who will force him into a high-paced bout where his cardio will truly be tested across five rounds, he'll struggle. He can't always rely on knocking his opponent unconscious. He should always have a backup plan to reliably win rounds just in case.

#1. Alex Pereira will eventually move up to light heavyweight

Jamahal Hill and Alex Pereira have some kind of history. After 'Poatan's' title-winning performance against Israel Adesanya, 'Sweet Dreams' warned him against pursuing a second divisional title at 205 pounds. While Hill is confident in his skills, Pereira might just be a nightmare matchup for him.

If 'Sweet Dreams' defeats Jiří Procházka when the pair eventually square off, there will be a lack of exciting matchups in the light heavyweight division. While Magomed Ankalaev is a potential foe, he has alienated himself from Dana White's good graces after his post-fight rant at UFC 282.

🚨HOT TAKE🚨

Jamahal Hill will lose to Alex Pereira and will be crowned Double Champ

Who do you got?

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A potential matchup with Alex Pereira would be a bigger PPV draw. However, it's a stylistically risky matchup. Jamahal Hill rarely uses his jab and relies on throwing hooks and naked kicks with no setup. 'Poatan' is an expert at parrying kicks across his mid-line and stepping on the inside of kicks to throw counterpunches. By doing so, he catches his foes while they're standing on one leg.

Furthermore, Hill's penchant for hooks means he's always in position to be countered by a counter-hook. Pereira possesses the best counter-left hook in MMA. He keeps his shoulders square and chest open, shortening the distance his punch travels.

Thus, every time he and his foes are in range, his left hook always lands first. Due to the seismic punching power he possesses, Hill would likely lose in a matchup.