Jamahal Hill liked Jon Jones’ shout out, but that won’t change anything.
The rising prospect received praise from the former UFC light heavyweight champion and arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history after Hill stopped Ovince Saint Preux in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 19. The event went down on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Hill (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) defeated Saint Preux via TKO at the 3:37 mark of the second round.
Jones tweeted that he liked Hill’s style and said he “looked amazing,” among a few other comments. Hill definitely enjoyed getting a thumbs up from an all-time great but also warned Jones not to get too friendly.
“That’s appreciated,” Hill said speaking to reporters at the post-fight news conference. “I respect Jon regardless of anything anybody says about Jon. He’s great; he came in this game and dominated. He lit the way for a lot of people.
“It was that change of the guard from the well-rounded, be able to do everything, as opposed to just tough guys. So I appreciate that, but it don’t change the fact that one day – one day.”
With the win over Saint Preux, Hill remains undefeated in his MMA career. The 29-year-old is making plenty of noise at light heavyweight since joining the roster late last year following an impressive victory at Dana White’s Contender Series. It’s been a wild ride for Hill, to say the least.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Hill said. “I’ve been wanting to be here for a long time. I’ve worked hard to get here. On the Contender Series, after I got the finish, I was like, ‘All right, just keep it going.’
“Then fighting in Raleigh, I know I didn’t quite get the finish, but I had actually broke my hand a few days before the fight, so I was fighting with my hand injured, not the full power in my hand. Otherwise, I would’ve probably got the job done with a finish there. But it’s just been a roller coaster with the things I’ve had to deal with outside of the cage to the success inside the cage. I just appreciate it all; that’s my story. You have to be grateful for my story however it is, and I’m just ready for what’s next.”
