Jake’s Takes | Finding the next challenger for Jamahal Hill

Of all the ways Jamahal Hill could have claimed gold at UFC 283, a dominant five-round display would not have been on many people’s lists. In fact, a fifth round flying twister off the cage is probably the only thing that was more unlikely.

The heavy-handed striker beat former champ Glover Teixeira from pillar to post in their main event bout, upsetting the Brazilian crowd and winning the vacant title in the process.

Given the chaos that has ensued at 205lbs in recent months, it’s not surprising that fans immediately looked to who might be next for the new champion.

Hill is confident that he can usher in a new era of light-heavyweight dominance, but there are more than a handful of people in line to take his title. Today, I’ll take a look at some of the potential opponents that we could see challenge for the 205lb title.

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(#1) Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1) – former UFC light-heavyweight champion

The name most frequently mentioned by fans isn’t a shock; it’s former titleholder Jiri Prochazka. The Czech exploded onto the UFC scene in 2020, before taking out Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 to become the champion. He did, however, have to relinquish his belt just a few months ago. A horrific shoulder injury forced him out a rematch with Teixeira and led to him vacating his title. He has undergone surgery on his shoulder now and appears to be rehabbing the injury.

He stated, on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, that he expects to return in the late summer. Depending on Hill’s schedule, this could absolutely be a viable option for the champion’s first title defense. The issue, of course, comes in whether or not Prochazka will actually be ready to fight by July or August. The extremity of the injury he sustained has been widely publicised, meaning he could be out until 2024. If he’s to be believed and he can safely compete in the timeframe he described, fans would absolutely be on board with seeing the return of a champion who never lost his title in the ring.

(#2) Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1) – former UFC title challenger

The second most popular choice, in the eyes of the public, is Russia’s Magomed Ankalaev. Many fans felt that Ankalaev deserved the nod in his vacant title fight with Jan Blachowicz, which ended in a split draw. For that reason, he has been given an ‘unofficial champ’ status by many of his fans. His post-fight comments have let us all know that he is no intentions of slowing down and wants to continue on his journey of becoming a champion.

Ankalaev didn’t sustain many major injuries in his bout with Blachowicz back in December, so I doubt he’ll be on the sideline for any extended period of time. A return around April/May would be feasible, as the UFC have no title fights booked for those months. Along with his status among fans, a main reason to go with a matchup between Hill and Ankalaev would be the stylistic clash. Both men enjoy using their size to strike at distance, but Ankalaev’s grappling may be able to earn him the win. It’s definitely an intriguing fight, and probably the most likely of any on the list.

(#3) Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1) – former UFC light-heavyweight champion

A person who has been slightly overlooked in the conversation of Hill’s next bout is former champion Jan Blachowicz. His aforementioned draw with Ankalaev at UFC 282 has left him in an odd position, being 1-1-1 in his last three bouts. Nevertheless, he still put on an impressive striking showcase against Ankalaev in the early part of their fight and has been a staple of the title picture since 2020.

Much like his last opponent, Blachowicz didn’t leave the Octagon with any major injuries in his last bout. He has campaigned for a rematch with Ankalaev, but it doesn’t seem likely to come to fruition. In all honesty, the Pole’s probably won’t be the first door the UFC comes knocking on. He is creeping up on 40 years of age and the general consensus is that he’s not as skilled as Ankalaev. If there are holdups with any of the above fighters, however, I could see the promotion moving forward with a Hill vs Blachowicz title fight in the spring or summer.

Winner of (#7) Nikita Krylov (29-9) vs (#10) Ryan Spann (21-7) – UFC light-heavyweight contenders

A pair of light-heavyweight finishers in Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann are set to throw down on February 25th. Both men are coming off the back of win-streaks, but there was no real championship implications intended when this matchup was first announced. With the massive changes in the title picture since Prochazka’s relinquishment, however, the winner of this fight could somehow find themselves in line.

A win for either man would place them just outside the top five of the division. For Ukraine’s Krylov, his blend of submission ability and knockout power could be present some issues to Hill. For Spann, his 6’5″ stature would put the champion at a height disadvantage for the first time. That’s before we even consider the power that Spann carries in his hands, as well as his profiency on the mat. I wouldn’t hedge on either man being the next opponent for Hill, but 205lbs grows more chaotic by the day. Don’t completely rule it out.

(c – MW) Alex Pereira (7-1) – UFC middleweight champion

As the reigning UFC middleweight champ, Alex Pereira enters this discussion as something of a wildcard. It’s common knowledge that Pereira weighs well north of 220lbs in his off-season and many have predicted a move to light-heavyweight in his future. With his teammate Glover Teixeira coming up short against Hill over the weekend, fans believe that Pereira will take this opportunity to replicate his GLORY double-champ status, whilst also avenging his mentor.

The issue with this idea is the fact that Pereira already reigns atop the 185lb division. His next bout will almost certainly be against Israel Adesanya, his rival and a deserving former champion. Even if Adesanya is out of action, another former titleholder in Robert Whittaker is on the prowl for a matchup. If the UFC does opt to reserve Pereira’s first title defense for later in the year, for whatever reason, nobody of sound mind will turn down a superfight between ‘Sweet Dreams’ and ‘Poatan’. Both men will happily sling leather until one man drops. Sign me up.

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Who do you think Hill will defend his title against? Who would you most like to see him fight? Let us know in the comments!