New UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill is open to fighting Magomed Ankalaev next.
Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) battered Glover Teixeira to capture the vacant title in the UFC 283 headliner in January in Brazil. After former champ Jiri Prochazka opted to relinquish his belt due to a severe shoulder injury, he’s projected to be Hill’s first title defense.
But if Prochazka still needs time to recover, Hill is happy to put his title on the line against Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC), who thinks he was robbed of a decision win in his title fight against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282.
“He’s right there at the top, so he’s put himself in position to be considered for those things,” Hill said in an interview with Sportskeeda. “I’m not just going to sit and just be like, ‘He didn’t deserve it.’ He’s up at the top. If I’m ready to go and I’m ready to fight, I fight who’s available. I wouldn’t mind knocking him the f*ck out just for the simple fact that people keep bringing his name up talking to me.”
Ankalaev and Blachowicz battled to a split draw in their vacant title fight this past December. Disappointed with the fight, UFC president Dana White decided to book Hill against Teixeira for the title that remained vacant after the draw. Hill became the first graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series to become a UFC champion.
