Jamahal Hill thinks he would make quick work of the version Alex Pereira displayed at UFC 291.
Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) edged out former champion Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) in this past Saturday’s co-main event at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, making good in his light heavyweight debut.
Hill, who vacated his 205-pound belt after he ruptured his Achilles tendon, agrees with the judges’ decision and thinks Pereira surprised Blachowicz with his strength.
“I think they got it right,” Hill said on his YouTube channel. “I think the decision was right. I think Jan came out and thought that he just had such a huge advantage in grappling that he would just be able to blow Pereira away like that. He obviously was the better technical grappler, but Pereira looked strong.
“I think that strength and power gave (Blachowicz) something to deal with that caused problems for him. He had to use a lot more strength than he would have wanted to to get Pereira down and then try to keep him down. He wasn’t zapping enough energy out from Pereira to counteract the energy he was expending to try and get him down.”
However, Hill didn’t rate Pereira’s performance too highly and thinks he’d have a hard time against him.
“Welcome to the division,” Hill said. “Me personally, I wasn’t impressed with what I saw. I saw a lot of things that would be a short night for him against me. But you know, luckily for him, it’s not me that he’ll be facing. He’ll be facing Jiri Prochazka, from what I heard. That fight will probably take place in Abu Dhabi. I’m locked in for it. I’m a fan of it right now. I’m just on the sidelines watching.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
Former UFC champ Jamahal Hill not impressed with Alex Pereira’s light heavyweight debut at UFC 291
