Jamahal Hill recently shared a major update on his recovery from injury, revealing new details about when he expects to be back in the octagon. He spoke openly about the seriousness of his injury and the timeline for his comeback.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion recently underwent knee surgery and is expecting a lengthy recovery. This setback adds another tough chapter in his career and will keep him out for a significant period.
Hill, 34, last fought at UFC on ABC 8 in June. He lost to Khalil Rountree by unanimous decision in the main event.
The loss marked his third consecutive loss. Before that, he lost to Jiri Prochazka and current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Hill admitted that his knee had bothered him for quite some time. He tried to manage the injury to hopefully reclaim the light heavyweight championship. However, surgery became unavoidable.
“Apparently, the cartilage in my knee was basically non-existent. There was some pretty bad tears in there, so I had to get a cartilage transplant,” Hill told Home of Fight‘s James Lynch. “I’m trying to get that bounce back in my legs again. These last couple fights, I haven’t been hopping, bouncing, or really throwing kicks like I should.”
Hill revealed that his recovery timeline could extend through the end of 2026.
“I’m looking at [returning] maybe end of next year,” Hill said.
Jamahal Hill Claims Khalil Rountree Was Aware of His Injury
Jamahal Hill also claimed that Khalil Rountree knew about his injury before their fight at UFC on ABC 8. He noticed that Rountree targeted his leg during their exchanges.
Speaking with Home of Fight, Hill gave his honest thoughts on his loss.
“What I’ve come to know now is [Rountree] definitely knew about my leg. He knew about it before, but you fight who’s in front of you. You can’t fault him for that,” Hill said. “You can’t fault him for even targeting [my leg] because [expletive], I would’ve done the same thing.”
Despite the loss, Hill remains confident in his abilities. He believes that if he had been healthy, the outcome would have been different.
“[Rountree] had 100 percent [health]. I think I do him worse than what he just got done [against Prochazka at UFC 320].”
Hill Already Had A Major Career Setback
This knee injury is not Hill’s first major setback. He previously suffered a torn Achilles tendon that ended his reign as UFC light heavyweight champion.
Hill defeated Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 by unanimous decision to win the vacant light heavyweight championship. Many fans and analysts expected him to defend his title against Prochazka. Unfortunately, Hill tore his Achilles before the fight could happen, which forced him to vacate his title.
After Hill stepped away, the UFC booked another title bout between Prochazka and Pereira at UFC 295. Periera won that fight by 2nd round knockout to capture the vacant title.
Hill then made a faster-than-expected return at UFC 300. ‘Sweet Dreams’ faced Pereira in the main event for the light heavyweight championship. He was unable to reclaim the light, as he lost by 1st round knockout.
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