"Jamahal Hill reminded me of the great Israel Adesanya" - Teddy Atlas on how Hill's performance against Thiago Santos reminded him of the UFC middleweight champion
Boxing royalty Teddy Atlas recently showered praise on Jamahal Hill by drawing parallels between him and UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
In the latest episode of 'The Fight with Teddy Atlas' podcast, Atlas discussed Hill's recent fight against Thiago Santos with Ken Rideout. He said that 'Sweet Dreams' striking ability and takedown defense reminded him of 'The Last Stylebender'.
"He reminded me a little bit of the great Adesanya, who I really like... He's a special talent and he's a champion obviously. he reminded me a little bit of him with Adesanya's striking and his ability to defend and escape takedowns."
He added:
"Even though Santos was able to get some [takedowns], he did, but he [Hill] was still able to survive them and defend them. So, he reminded me of that because you gotta be well-rounded in this sport."
You can watch the full episode of the podcast below:
At UFC Vegas 59, Hill finished Santos in the fourth round via TKO and the contest was awarded the 'Fight of the Night' honors. With the victory, 'Sweet Dreams' extended his winning streak to three and has now become a top contender in the light heavyweight division.
What's next for Israel Adesanya and Jamahal Hill?
With the victory on August 6, Jamahal Hill made a strong statement in the 205-pound division. After the victory, 'Sweet Dreams' called for a fight with either Jiri Prochazka or Jan Blachowicz.
"I want a shot at Jiri. I've been calling for Jiri for about two years now. I want him. I don't care if he's the champion. I've got twice as many wins as him in this organziation... If I can't get him, get me the man that used to sit on the throne. I'll take Jan. I'm hungry. I won't go. The lion is hungry for gold, present or former," said Jamahal Hill.
Although a title shot may seem unlikely at the moment, another win could put 'Sweet Dreams' next in line to fight for UFC gold.
Israel Adesanya is currently scheduled to fight Alex Pereira at UFC 281. The fight will take place at Madison Square Garden in November. The two fighters have had two kickboxing encounters in the past, both of which were won by the Brazilian.