What happened to Jamahal Hill? Find out why the ex-UFC light heavyweight champ felt compelled to voluntarily relinquish his title

Jamahal Hill's ascent to prominence is one of the most remarkable journeys in UFC history.

'Sweet Dreams' earned his promotional contract on 'Dana White’s Contender Series' after just six fights into his professional career in July 2019. The pivotal moment in Hill's career occurred when he headlined a Fight Night event against Johnny Walker in February 2022 and delivered a spectacular first-round knockout victory.

After securing a TKO victory over Thiago Santos, 'Sweet Dreams' went on to defeat former champion Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 last January, claiming the then-vacant title. Initially set to challenge champion Jiri Prochazka for the belt in December 2022, Teixeira was left without an opponent when Prochazka suffered a shoulder injury and had to withdraw.

As a replacement, the UFC scheduled a vacant title bout between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282 in December. However, the fight resulted in a split draw, leaving the division without a champion until Hill's victory over Teixeira.

Jamahal Hill announced in a YouTube video last July that he had ruptured his Achilles tendon and would be voluntarily relinquishing his UFC light heavyweight title:

"If I had my choice, would I like to give up the belt? No, I wouldn't. You have to be consistent. I understand, it's the business. The show must go on. I'm not exempt from that."

Check out Jamahal Hill's video below:

It was anticipated that Hill would defend his belt against Jiri Prochazka later in 2023, but those plans were abruptly abandoned. 'Sweet Dreams' seemingly drew inspiration from 'BJP' and chose to relinquish the title to maintain the division's momentum. Subsequently, Hill admitted that he sustained the injury while playing basketball.

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Jamahal Hill seeks to reclaim surrendered glory at UFC 300

Jamahal Hill's decision to vacate his title once again left the light heavyweight division without a champion. After Alex Pereira triumphed over former titleholder Jan Blachowicz in his 205-pound debut during UFC 291 last July, the UFC organized a clash between 'Poatan' and Jiri Prochazka to determine the division's undisputed champion. Pereira seized the opportunity and secured a second-round TKO victory at UFC 295 in November.

Fast forward to 2024, 'Sweet Dreams' is preparing to square off against the reigning champion, hoping to recapture his title. This highly anticipated matchup will be the main event of the monumental UFC 300 pay-per-view, set to take place on April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.