Alex Pereira is looking forward to making the first defense of his light heavyweight title at UFC 300. Facing Jamahal Hill in the main event of the auspicious event, Pereira realizes all that is at stake on the night. As such, he has now responded to everything his opponent has had to say in the buildup of the fight.
For those unaware, ‘Poatan’ previously laid claim to the light heavyweight throne, capturing the vacant title at UFC 295 last year. Having beaten Jan Blachowicz earlier last year, Pereira’s new conquest started paying dividends almost instantaneously. As such, the win made a clear shoo-in for the matchup against former champ, Jiri Prochazka.
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On the night, Alex shocked a lot of fans as he finished Prochazka in Round 2. Thereafter, it was clear that his next fight would be against Jamahal Hill, the man whose vacant title he had just seized. Owing to an Achilles injury last year, Hill was kept out of action, eventually needing to vacate his title as a result. Now they are set for a mega showdown at UFC 300.
Alex Pereira responds to Jamahal Hill’s KO prediction
In the buildup to the fight, there has been a lot of support shown to Alex Pereira. One of the most legendary runs in the sport so far, it is very easy to root for the Brazilian. On the other hand, Jamahal Hill has been very vocal, feeling that he is being overlooked coming into the fight. As such, he has promised to knock Pereira out cold, to set an example for the fans and the rest of the division.
Seeing that Alex is a man of few words, he has never really commented on anything that Hill has had to say so far. With that said, it would seem that Pereira does not really rate Jamahal highly either, claiming that Jiri Prochazka is in fact superior to him:
“I think Jiri is more accurate and precise on his strikes, the way he flows, the way he fights. Jamahal Hill has a little more advantage on his power, which makes him dangerous too because nobody wants to take a hit and go down in fights. But when you talk about skill level, Jiri Prchazka is superior.”
For the most part, the general public would agree with this take. However, at the same time, it doesn’t really matter how Hill stacks up against Prochazka. After all, Alex Pereira is the one fighting Hill and will have to be prepared accordingly.
What makes Jamahal Hill more dangerous than Jiri Prochazka?
To the normal eye, Alex Pereira seems like a devastating force to be reckoned with, owing to his kickboxing prowess. Having brought that same style over to MMA, he has found a lot of success in a very short amount of time. Thus, he is now hailed as one of the best strikers on the planet, with a wide array of attacks.
At the same time, what makes fighters like Jiri Prochazka a good match for him is the surgical nature of his attacks. Despite having one of the more unorthodox striking styles, Jiri has somewhat of a measured approach, often delivering his blows with surgical precision. For a tenured kickboxer like Alex Pereira, it is a somewhat easier style to deal with, as many stated before their fight.
On the other hand, Jamahal Hill is an aggressive southpaw who heavily relies on his boxing. Not only is Hill good at creating brawls, but he also possesses a ton of power, which has helped him dispatch the likes of Johnny Walker, Thiago Santos, and Glover Teixeira, all Brazilians. Thus, it is entirely possible that Hill manages to catch Alex Pereira with a wild heavy hand. As such, the unpredictability factor with Jamahal will be a key factor during the fight.