Is Jamahal Hill the Next True Contender at Light Heavyweight?

Dominant wins over the likes of Darko Stosic, Ovince St. Preux, and Jimmy Crute established Hill as someone to watch in the light heavyweight division. However, his devastating knockout of highly touted prospect Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 48 brought Hill aboard a full-blown hype train.

What Should We Expect Next From Hill?

A 6-month medical suspension will probably shelve Hill until late this summer, but that hasn’t stopped potential opponents from calling out the budding star. Most notably, the 8th ranked Volkan Oezdemir took to Twitter following Hill’s victory over Johnny Walker saying he still has his doubts. Hill had no problem responding in kind, and sowed the seeds of a potential showdown between him and Oezdemir:

“I mean that understandable with the brain damage you took in your last 2 fights!!! (1 against a guy making his debut) My hands will change your life think it’s a game and fuck around and find out!!! I’m dead I can’t wait to sleep all y’all hero’s cuz y’all clearly don’t know the game or what your seeing!!! I’m done speaking on it just wait on it!”

Hill on Twitter

Jamahal Hill truly believes he can back up these statements, as he’s gone on record claiming to have the best hands in the UFC. He has knocked out his opponent four of his five wins, and seems to be only getting better.

His nickname “Sweet Dreams” further backs up his claims, and if Oezdemir is truly in his sights, he plans on delivering even more sweet dreams to the Swiss fighter. During a recent interview on the MMA Hour, Hill was asked about the potential beef with Oezdemir, and “Sweet Dreams” dropped a response that certainly was on brand:

“He must have ran out of melatonin or something. Must not be sleeping too well that night – he might need some help. It’s about imposing my dominance and inciting fear, if somebody speaks out like that, I can’t have that sh*t.”

Hill on the MMA Hour

Oezdemir has been on a streak of his own as of late, dropping 4 of his last 6 bouts. He’s hoping to change that course by derailing one of the most promising hype trains on the entire UFC roster. If Hill’s fight against Johnny Walker is any indication, Oezdemir might have hand-picked a very dangerous adversary.

A win for Hill against Oezdemir could be huge, as it would catapult him into the top 5 of the division. A fight with the likes of Aleksandr Rakic, Jan Blahowicz, or Dominick Reyes would be imminent, and it would jump-start his path to the title.

Do you see Jamahal Hill making a title run? Should Volkan Oezdemir be next on his list? Let us know in the comments below!

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