In Photos: Jamahal Hill puts in the hard yards, sparring with gloves on as he looks to regain lost throne
Jamahal Hill was seen sparring while preparing for his Octagon return.
On April 13, Hill had an opportunity to challenge Alex Pereira for his light heavyweight title. 'Sweet Dreams' entered the UFC 300 main event with a four-fight win streak, including three inside the distance, while Periera knocked out Jiri Prochazka in his last fight to claim the vacant throne.
The former light heavyweight champion's world title hopes were short-lived, as Pereira knocked him out in round one. Hill has since vowed to bounce back and avenge his defeat against 'Poatan.'
Earlier this week, Brian Butler-Au of Sucker Punch Entertainment shared photos of Hill sparring with his son and sports agent Chris Creech. Butler-Au added the following caption to his Instagram post:
"Good to have @sweet_dreams_jhill in town getting work in with @chris.creech.sp and my son @justinbutlerau 🥊 #represented"
Before fighting Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill fought Glover Teixeira for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title. Hill battled with Teixeira for five rounds before emerging victorious by unanimous decision, etching his name into UFC history.
In the following months, Hill suffered a torn Achilles and was forced to vacate his title, leading to Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka. 'Sweet Dreams' now looks to return to the win column and potentially secure a rematch against 'Poatan.'
Take a look at Hill's previously mentioned sparring photos below:
Who should Jamahal Hill fight next in the UFC?
On June 29, the UFC held a pay-per-view event, UFC 303, inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jamahal Hill was scheduled for the event and scratched twice, first against Khalil Rountree Jr. (failed drug test by Rountree) and then Carlos Ulberg (knee injury by Hill).
With two months left in 2024, it's unclear if Hill will return to the Octagon before the end of the calendar year. Once he fights again, a potential opponent would be fellow former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, who is also coming off a knockout loss against Alex Pereira.
Another solid matchup for Hill would be another former UFC light heavyweight champion - number four-ranked Jan Blachowicz. The Polish contender hasn't fought since suffering a non-title split decision loss against Pereira in July 2023. It'll be interesting to see if the UFC books 'Sweet Dreams' against someone else.