"I have to do more, I have to work harder" - Jamahal Hill breaks silence on Khalil Rountree Jr. loss, opens up on injury struggles

Jamahal Hill recently reflected on his defeat to Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC Baku. In a lengthy statement, Hill addressed his poor performances inside the octagon, citing issues with a specific injury.

Hill headlined UFC Baku last month in a light heavyweight bout against Rountree Jr. 'Sweet Dreams' put on a lackluster effort and suffered a unanimous decision loss after five rounds of the contest.

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, Hill opened up about his heartbreaking loss, saying:

''To be honest, I haven’t been on my level. I haven’t been on my level now for quite some time. I think that people severely underestimate the injuries that I’ve dealt with and the challenges that I’ve had to overcome with that. An Achilles tear to an athlete is a career-ender. It’s a career ender in a lot of cases to many, many people. And then you compile that with the injuries that I’ve also dealt with, the tears to the knees from trying to come back and force my way back in the time that I did.''

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The former champion then vowed to come back stronger.

''I have to do more. I have to work harder. I have to grind harder...I have to focus on improvement as well as strengthening in places that I’m weak with injury and things like that.”

Check out Jamahal Hill's comments below:

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Hill vacated his light heavyweight title in 2023 after suffering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. After a year-long absence, he returned to reclaim his belt against Alex Pereira at UFC 300 but was knocked out in the opening round.

The Chicago native was hoping to get back in title contention at UFC 311 when he faced former champion Jiri Prochazka earlier this year. However, a third-round knockout defeat derailed his plans.

Jamahal Hill wants to fully heal from a previous injury

An Achilles injury disrupted Jamahal Hill's octagon comeback as he currently finds himself in a three-fight losing streak.

In the aforementioned YouTube video, Hill voiced his desire to take a break from fighting in order to make a confident return.

''For now, I’m gonna take the time that I need to make sure that I can focus on my injuries, give them the time that they need to get back to strength and back to feeling like me again. I haven’t felt like myself in quite some time now. Haven’t been able to do the things I like. I haven’t run since the injury. Just a feeling of maybe I can’t, things like that, just the strength not being there to my legs. And that’s something that has to change.”

Check out Jamahal Hill's comments below (7:46):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena