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Daniel Cormier recently showered praise on newly crowned light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill and also commended Dana White's Contender Series for producing its first UFC champion.
In the latest episode of the DC & RC Show, Cormier said that he was surprised by Hill's performance at UFC 283. 'DC' also asked people to watch Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) as championship-caliber fighters were emerging from the show:
"He surprised me but I'm not gonna be surprised by Jamahal Hill anymore. And again, first dude from the Contender Series to become a champion. So, it shows you that those Tuesday nights, you better tune in because you never know who you are gonna come across."
Watch Daniel Cormier speak about Jamahal Hill and DWCS from the 9:10 mark below:
Hill went up against Glover Teixeira for the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 283. 'Sweet Dreams' rose to the occasion in Rio de Janeiro and outclassed Teixeira for the majority of the fight.
That night, Hill also set a record for the most significant strikes landed (232) in a 205-pound bout.
Hill took home the victory via unanimous decision with a score of 50-44 on all three judges' scorecards. The contest was declared the Fight of the Night and both men took home an additional $50,000.
Many fighters like Sean O'Malley, Maycee Barber, Jailton Almeida, Adrian Yanez, Johnny Walker, Ryan Spann, Geoff Neal and Billy Quarantillo have risen to prominence from DWCS, but Hill is the first fighter from the show to capture a world title.
Daniel Cormier comments on Jamahal Hill's future as the UFC light heavyweight champion
The UFC's light heavyweight division has been in turmoil ever since Jon Jones relinquished the title and departed from the weight class in February 2020.
Since then, there have been four champions at 205lbs with just one successful title defense between them.
Daniel Cormier believes that now, with Jamahal Hill on the throne, things will become stable in the light heavyweight division:
"[Jamahal Hill] seems like the guy... It's inspiring to see a young man break through when he was ranked No.7 going into this fight. A tremendous performance that looks like he's gonna be the guy that could bring some stability to a weight class that's had four champions since 2020."
Watch Cormier react to UFC 283 below:
