Jamahal Hill vows to KO Alex Pereira to recapture UFC light heavyweight title

Jamahal Hill has promised to knock-out Alex Pereira to recapture UFC light heavyweight gold, after the Brazilian phenom's recent victory of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295.

The event should have marked the first official title defence for 'Sweet Dreams', had he not have selflessly vacated the title back in July after rupturing his Achilles tendon - sitting side-lined ever since capturing LHW gold over Glover Teixeira six months prior.

Pereira and Prochazka would go to war for the vacant title over the weekend, with 'Poatan' securing a second-round TKO over his foe - who had also previously vacated gold following a shoulder injury. Pereira would also capture his second title in just seven fights on the night, previously getting the better of long-time rival Israel Adesanya in the middleweight division before moving up to 205lbs.

But Hill doesn't see the Brazilian holding the title long should he have his way, promising to knock him out standing should he get the shot to take back what is rightfully his. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hill said: "I like Alex. Alex is funny, Alex is cool as a person. I think he's a good guy."

He added: "But I have to put a severe ass-whooping on him just for the simple fact of the disrespect or how y'all are coming at me. Mark my words when I say this. I do not plan on taking him down, I do not plan on wrestling him.

"I plan on going in there and where y’all think he’s just this otherworldly guy because he did kickboxing and I didn’t do kickboxing — this is a completely different sport. I been doing MMA for years. I been bred in MMA and whenever I do fight him, standing, I will knock him out, and when I do, I’m going to rub it in every single one of y’all’s face.

"I won’t rub it in Alex’s face, Alex is a friend, but every single one of y’all that has talked, and disrespected and just straight up. Like bro, it's really crazy to me. Like regardless of anything, I’m better at my job, I am certified one of the top...we'll say 15 in the world in my job in my weight class.

"As far as my credentials and in my lane, I’m one of the top one or two in the world - I’m truly the best. That’s why I say I’m the king - cause I know I'm the best in this weight division."

Pereira meanwhile seems to have his sights set on Adesanya once more, calling the former middleweight champ out after his victory over Prochazka. In a translated octagon interview with Joe Rogan, Pereira said: "I'm not the type of guy to call people out but there's a guy that - back in the days he did some interview and said that I was just going to be a guy to stay in the bar.

"So that motivated me, and he rescued me from a bar to be here today. This guy has just said that he want's to come back fighting in 2027. I think he's a very talented fighter and it's a waste of talent.

"So I want to rescue him too to, to come here and fight. I know that I'm not going to do what he did to me, make me fight three times to fight him at middleweight. I know he's a guy that has a history so I want to make him have this fight. Adesanya, come to daddy."

Responding to Hill as a potential next fight, Pereira cited how he is an 'active fighter' and he's not sure if the challenger will be fit by the time he wants to defend his title.