"I was able to do what Jon Jones wasn't able to do" - Jamahal Hill on finishing Thiago Santos at UFC Fight Night

UFC light heavyweight Jamahal Hill won his third fight in a row at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Hill. He beat Thiago Santos via TKO, something not even Jon Jones could manage against the Brazilian.

In his post-fight interview, Hill highlighted his own performance and drew parallels with the former UFC light heavyweight champion:

"I dug it out and I was able to finish him [Thiago Santos]. I was able to do what Jon Jones wasn't able to do. I was able to do what Magomed [Ankalaev] wasn't able to do. All these dudes that are ahead of me can say whatever they want to say about my performance. My performance against this man [Santos] and their performance is two different things."

Check out the statement from Jamahal Hill below:

'Sweet Dreams' picked up steam in the fourth round of the fight. After a right hand had Santos on the ground, he pounced on him to get the finish with incessant blows.

Hill made mention of Thiago Santos' bout against Jon Jones at UFC 239 where Jones won via split decision. He referenced Jones' inability to win convincingly against the accomplished 'Marreta' while he himself knocked the Brazilian out.

Thiago Santos and Jones had a very close fight at UFC 239 with Santos comfortably taking round one. The rest of the rounds were more competitive but neither fighter had the edge to finish their opponent. The fight eventually went to the judges' scorecards where Jones was adjudged the winner by a close split decision.

Magomed Ankalaev, who sits third in the light heavyweight rankings, failed to finish Thiago Santos earlier this year in the main event of UFC Fight Night 203. Similarly, Aleksandar Rakic, the No.4-ranked contender, also experienced Santos' resilience firsthand and their fight went the distance too, albeit ending in Rakic's favor.

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Jon Jones is impressed by Jamahal Hill

Even before Jamahal Hill's excellent showing against Santos, Jon Jones had already taken notice of 'Sweet Dreams'. Hill's second-round KO victory over Ovince Saint Preux in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Vettori in December 2020 caught the eye of the former light heavyweight champion. Jones tweeted:

"Jamall [Jamahal] Hill [eyes emoji]"

That same performance prompted comparisons between Jamahal Hill and 'Bones', with a fan chiming in:

"Looks like a young Jon Jones"

After defeating an opponent ranked higher than him, Hill can expect to rise from his No.10 position in the updated rankings. 'Sweet Dreams' has his eyes trained on none other than the champion. The American has been calling out Jiri Prochazka for a while now and used his imposing victory to reinforce his call-out.

Watch his post-fight interview:

The 31-year-old is on track to come good on his comparisons with 'Bones'. He is on a three-fight win streak and is staking an ambitious claim for the title, which may not be as overblown as the rankings suggest.