What Should Be Next for Jamahal Hill After UFC Baku?

What Should Be Next for Jamahal Hill After UFC Baku?10 hours ago

Jamahal Hill’s return to form continues to elude him, as he suffered a third consecutive defeat at UFC Baku, this time to Khalil Rountree Jr. in a punishing five-round main event. Rountree Jr. repeatedly battered Hill’s lead leg, limiting the former champion’s movement and severely hampering his ability to mount offense. While Hill showed grit and durability, he failed to adapt to the one-sided leg kick onslaught and never found his range. The judges rendered a clear unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45), marking Hill’s first decision loss and furthering a skid that began with a brutal KO loss to Alex Pereira and a TKO defeat to Jiří Procházka. Once 12–1 (1), Hill now finds himself at a career crossroads.

A compelling and sensible next fight for Hill is a showdown with former champion Jan Błachowicz, who also finds himself on a two-fight skid. The Polish veteran dropped a close decision to Carlos Ulberg in March after a narrow split loss to Pereira in 2023. With both fighters needing a rebound win to stay relevant in a stacked light heavyweight division, a bout between Hill and Błachowicz offers a meaningful narrative: two ex-champions looking to reassert themselves among the elite. Stylistically, it’s a classic striker-versus-power-pressurer matchup, with Hill’s boxing and speed going up against Błachowicz’s Polish Power and seasoned experience.

This matchup would serve as a co-main or featured bout on a PPV or Fight Night card and offer clarity on which former titleholder still belongs in the division’s upper echelon.

Last Five Fights – Jamahal Hill:

1. Loss to Khalil Rountree Jr. – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ABC (June 21, 2025)
2. Loss to Jiří Procházka – TKO (punches), UFC 311 (January 18, 2025)
3. Loss to Alex Pereira – KO (punches), UFC 300 (April 13, 2024)
4. Win over Glover Teixeira – Decision (unanimous), UFC 283 (January 21, 2023)
5. Win over Thiago Santos – TKO (punches and elbows), UFC on ESPN (August 6, 2022)

Last Five Fights – Jan Błachowicz:

1. Loss to Carlos Ulberg – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night (March 22, 2025)
2. Loss to Alex Pereira – Decision (split), UFC 291 (July 29, 2023)
3. Draw with Magomed Ankalaev – Draw (split), UFC 282 (December 10, 2022)
4. Win over Aleksandar Rakić – TKO (knee injury), UFC on ESPN (May 14, 2022)
5. Loss to Glover Teixeira – Submission (rear-naked choke), UFC 267 (October 30, 2021)