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This past weekend saw light heavyweight prospect Jamahal Hill pick up the biggest win of his UFC career to date. He knocked out Johnny Walker in the first round.
Jamahal Hill’s win over Johnny Walker has elevated him up into the top ten of the light heavyweight division, so who should he face in his next trip to the octagon?
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Right now, many of the top 205lbers in the UFC are already booked – so finding ‘Sweet Dreams’ an opponent could be tricky. However, there are at least a handful of potentially good matches for him.
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With this in mind, here are five potential opponents for 'Sweet Dreams' to face next.
#5. Jamahal Hill vs. Anthony Smith
Now he’s ranked in the top ten at 205lbs, it makes the most sense for Jamahal Hill to face a fighter who sits above him on the ladder. With that considered, one opponent who could provide him with a tough test is Anthony Smith.
‘Lionheart’ fought Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title back in 2019. While he lost in his attempt to become the champion, he’s continued to perform well since. In fact, there’s probably an argument to suggest he’s the division’s premier gatekeeper.
Smith’s last defeat came at the hands of top contender Aleksandar Rakic. Since then, he’s reeled off three straight wins, all via stoppage, over Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute and Ryan Spann.
Given this penchant for finishing his fights, a potential clash between ‘Lionheart’ and ‘Sweet Dreams’ would definitely make for some fireworks.
Based on his underrated ground skills, Smith would also be a very dangerous foe for Hill, who suffered a bad loss on the mat in 2021 to Paul Craig. However, the lengthy reach of ‘Sweet Dreams’ would make him just as dangerous to Smith, particularly as the former title challenger is no longer as durable as he once was.
Overall, this would make for an excellent bout and could be one that the UFC could use to headline one of their Fight Night shows, too.
#4. Jamahal Hill vs. Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua
While it makes sense for Jamahal Hill to face one of the fighters ranked above him in the UFC light heavyweight division, there is an issue in that many of them are already booked in fights right now.
However, there is another path for ‘Sweet Dreams’ to take – and that’s a path that’s been trodden by plenty of hot prospects in the past. Namely, it would involve him facing a former champion and all-time great who has fallen on hard times.
That former champion is Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, who claimed gold in PRIDE before capturing the UFC light heavyweight title in 2010.
Shogun has not fought in the octagon since his one-sided loss to Paul Craig in late 2020. Despite him coming into that fight on the back of a three-fight unbeaten run, plenty of fans were calling for his retirement after that defeat.
However, the 40-year old Brazilian hasn’t announced anything officially – meaning that he’s likely to take at least one more bout in the promotion.
Therefore, why not book him with Hill, who is one of the hottest younger fighters in the division? Sure, the fight would probably be one-sided in favor of ‘Sweet Dreams’, but that wouldn’t matter. Shogun still has enough name value to make the bout worthwhile.
Overall, this fight might seem cruel to the aging veteran, but the UFC has always built newer fighters on the back of older ones. Therefore, it would make some sense to book it.
#3. Jamahal Hill vs. Paulo Costa
One fighter who isn’t ranked at 205lbs, but might make for a decent opponent for Jamahal Hill could be former UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa.
The last time we saw ‘The Eraser’ in action, not only did he miss weight for his fight with Marvin Vettori, he also didn’t look quite up to his best in a decision loss. After the bout, UFC President Dana White suggested that a permanent move up to 205lbs would have to follow.
Therefore, if Costa is to make a mark in the light heavyweight division, why not let him make his official debut there against one of its hottest prospects in ‘Sweet Dreams’?
Sure, this fight would eliminate one of the two – for now at least – as a potential title contender. On paper though, it sounds like a lot of fun.
Would Hill’s length, reach and knockout ability give him the advantage? Or would Costa’s brute force, skill in the clinch and superior UFC experience allow him to dominate?
Either way, it’d be an excellent fight. If Hill can knock off a former UFC title challenger, it’d definitely confirm the idea that he’s for real.
#2. Jamahal Hill vs. Dominick Reyes
One of the few fighters ranked above Jamahal Hill who doesn’t have a fight lined up in the near future right now is former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes.
‘The Devastator’ has understandably been on the shelf for almost a year now, choosing to heal up his wounds after suffering two brutal knockout losses at the hands of Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka.
Incredibly, despite still being ranked at No.7 in the division, Reyes has not actually won a bout in the octagon since his victory over Chris Weidman in October 2019.
However, due to his experience, knockout power and lengthy reach, he’d still provide the toughest test of Jamahal Hill’s UFC career.
Would ‘Sweet Dreams’ be expected to put Reyes to sleep as he did to Johnny Walker last weekend? Based on Reyes’ recent knockout losses, perhaps, but then it’d be totally unfair to label him a glass cannon. After all, he took some serious punishment from both Blachowicz and Prochazka before going down.
Overall, this would be a great fight between two of the light heavyweight division’s most explosive strikers. Based on their previous outings in the octagon, the likelihood of it going the distance would be slim.
#1. Jamahal Hill vs. Volkan Oezdemir
The fight that makes the most sense for Jamahal Hill right now is undoubtedly a clash with former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir.
Not only is ‘No Time’ ranked above Hill – he currently sits at No.8 in the division – but he’s already had beef with ‘Sweet Dreams’ on Twitter, with both men calling the other out following Hill’s victory over Johnny Walker last weekend.
That means that part of the UFC’s job – promoting a fight between the two – is essentially done, making it almost a no-brainer for the promotion to book it.
So how would a clash between the two go down? It’d definitely be a winnable fight for Hill, due to his length, reach and knockout power – but it’d also be a highly dangerous one, too.
Despite falling to defeat against the likes of Jiri Prochazka and Magomed Ankalaev in recent bouts, Oezdemir still has heavy hands of his own. More to the point, the native of Switzerland is also far more experienced than Hill in big fights.
If Hill could beat Oezdemir, the win might not elevate him all that highly up the ranks. However, given that there are other fighters ahead of ‘Sweet Dreams’ in the queue for a title shot anyway, that wouldn’t matter. The UFC ought to look to book this exciting-sounding bout at some point later in 2022.
