UFC stars like Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski had already predicted that Alex Pereira would win the Fighter of the Year award, and indeed, ‘Poatan’ claimed the 2024 title, even striking his iconic pose with the award. However, his former rival, Jamahal Hill, believes Ilia Topuria deserved the award over Pereira.
Pereira delivered some of the year’s best fights, even saving PPV cards, and successfully defended his title thrice. However, in a recent interview with Helen Yee, Hill shared his belief that Ilia Topuria deserves the Fighter of the Year award for 2024. He pointed to Topuria’s impressive victories over legendary fighters Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
In the interview, the former light heavyweight champion wrote, “For me, Fighter of the Year is Ilia Topuria… for what he was able to do against Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway.”
Pereira fought three times this year, more than Ilia Topuria, and won all three bouts by knockout, which ultimately earned him the Fighter of the Year award. However, ‘Sweet Dreams’ also faced Pereira at UFC 300 and lost by knockout. After the defeat, Hill began to claim that Pereira used a sneaky move that led to his loss.
Jamahal Hill Claims Alex Pereira Used Underhanded Tactics In Their UFC 300 Fight
In a YouTube video, Hill recently mocked his rivals, including Jiri Prochazka and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. He also found himself in a heated debate over Pereira’s alleged sneaky move at UFC 300, where Hill lost by a first-round knockout. Hill still believes the referee’s decision played a role in his defeat. A fan criticized him, pointing out that Herb Dean signaled for the fight to continue.
Hill disagreed, stating, “Herb stepped behind me and said continue blocking my left side! This all happened in 4 seconds so to say that didn’t play a factor is retarded!! I accept I should’ve been more on point and not shown sportsmanship when I wasn’t given any, it was dumb on my part, but you learn.”
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This isn’t the first time Hill has addressed his loss at UFC 300. He previously mentioned how the mid-round stoppage affected the result. Hill continues to respond to comments and even suggested the possibility of a rematch. If Hill wins against Prochazka at UFC 311, a rematch with Pereira could take place in 2025.
Also Read: Jamahal Hill Goes Off On “Bi*ch” Magomed Ankalaev, Wants To Put Him To Sleep
