Josh Hill punched his ticket Friday to become a Bellator bantamweight grand prix alternate – literally.
Hill scored a one-punch knockout win over Jared Scoggins at Bellator 272 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The finish came suddenly within the first minute of Round 2 after Scoggins hesitated when closing the distance. At that moment, Hill (21-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) made Scoggins (10-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) pay with a huge right hand that put him to sleep.
Check out the finish below (via Twitter):
👊💥 Josh Hill stiffs Jared Scoggins with a BEAUTIFUL right hand KO!
🎩 The “Gentleman” delivers on his KO promise LIVE on @SHOsports.
Tune in LIVE now! 👉 https://t.co/RNtauZGbbQ#Bellator272 pic.twitter.com/ZrmET3cPxO— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) December 4, 2021
Prior to the fight, Bellator announced that an eight-man $1 million bantamweight tournament will commence in early 2022, but Hill was not included in the field. During his post-fight interview, cageside announcer “Big” John McCarthy informed Hill that Bellator president Scott Coker said his performance earned him a spot as an alternate should somebody have to withdraw.
Hill, 35, has won five of his past six bouts and rebounded from a loss to tournament competitor Raufeon Stots this past May.
