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In the aftermath of Jamahal Hill's win over Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 48, Chael Sonnen believes there's a new contender in the 205 lbs division.
Hill scored a highlight-reel knockout win over Walker in his first UFC main event this past weekend. Previously ranked No.12 in the 205 lbs rankings, 'Sweet Dreams' has now entered the top 10.
Sonnen recently weighed in on Hill's rise. The former UFC title-challenger likened the rising star's streak of first-round KOs to the rise of high-profile fighters like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, he said:
"There does appear to be a bit of a new contender in town. And he's in a little bit of an interesting spot. You break into the top 10, you're coming off wins like this. We have seen guys within the sport time and time again that get on what's called a roll. Ronda Rousey, Frank Shamrock, Conor McGregor, big names, powerful, wonderful fighters."
Sonnen further discussed how Hill's propensity to finish fights in the first round could haunt him when he takes on higher-caliber opponents. He added:
"But when you get on a roll, when you start getting opponent after opponent after opponent out of there in less than round, you start to expect to continue getting opponents out of there in less than a round. So on fight night when you find yourself in round three, you've now found yourself in a contest that's harder than you thought it was going to be."
Watch Chael Sonnen weigh in on Jamahal Hill's rise below:
Jamahal Hill is not rushing for the title
Jamahal Hill went 2-0 in his first three UFC outings with one no-contest. He then suffered the first defeat of his pro MMA career when he succumbed to a first-round TKO loss to Paul Craig at UFC 263 last year.
Since then, 'Sweet Dreams' has bounced back with consecutive first-round KO wins over Jimmy Crute and Johnny Walker. While Hill certainly has his eyes on the light heavyweight title, he has revelead that he isn't in a hurry to get there. The 30-year-old said in his post-fight octagon interview at UFC Vegas 48:
“[The title is] definitely what I want. I’m ready to come for that. But right now, we’re going to see. I’m going to take a look at the division and see what’s up and get with everybody. I’m going to get with the head bosses and see what makes sense.”
Watch Jamahal Hill's post-fight interview below:
