Jamahal Hill set to thrive under spotlight at UFC Apex

Jamahal Hill’s drive to succeed isn’t normal.

It is why his head coach from Black Lion Jiu-Jitsu in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Chad Pomeroy, has often pushed his body and mind to the limit ahead of his UFC light-heavyweight clash against Thiago Santos on Sunday.

Even if that means waking him up at sunrise to get him into the gym.

“He (Pomeroy) calls my phone at like 6.30 in the morning and I’m like ‘what’s up, bro?’” Hill said.

“He’s like ‘what are you doing? Are you asleep?’ I’m like ‘yeah, that’s what most normal people are doing on Saturday morning’.

“He’s like ‘nah, not you – wake up, I’m outside’. I look outside and this dude’s in my driveway.

“He used to come pick me up and push me to grind it out.

“Chad has been instrumental to me having success, coming full circle and being the man that I am.

“He’s showed me what I mean to him and how much he cares for me.”

Indeed, Hill has come such a long way that he now boasts a 10-1-0 record and is ranked 10th in his division.

Now 31, his razor-sharp determination to go as far as he could as a fighter has him the $1.30 favourite with online bookmakers to beat the experienced Santos (ranked sixth with a 22-10-0 record) at $3.60.

“When Jamahal came into the gym he was a young kid, 18-19 years old, so he was fresh out of high school,” Pomeroy said.

“It was just his attitude. Anything I said he was like ‘yes, I’m on it’. He picked up on everything.

“And that was what made me want to give him a fight quick. I was like ‘this kid has got something’.

“His confidence, attention to detail, the way he was picking up on techniques and just his drive.

“I just had the feeling that this kid is going somewhere. And look at him now.”

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After only making his UFC debut on January 25, 2020, Hill will thrive under the spotlight of taking on Santos, 38, at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

And the man nicknamed Sweet Dreams believes he will entertain fans with his relentless and aggressive style.

“This fight with Thiago Santos is going to be fireworks – if he wants to come forward or put a pounding on me,” Hill said.

“But that’s what I want to do. Sweet Dreams wants to get up in your face – I want action, I want intensity, I want to get at it non-stop.

“This fight is going to be one the fans will want to tune into, and I think it’s going to be a fight that Santos isn’t used to.”

Hill suffered a quick submission loss to Paul Craig in June 2021. Subsequent first-round knockouts of Johnny Walker and Jimmy Crute were very impressive.

But questions remain about how Hill can fight his way through adversity.

To those doubters, Hill cannot wait to prove himself on Sunday.

“I feel everybody he (Santos) fights has that little bit of fear of ‘if he hits me’. I’m not worried about that,” Hill said.

“He needs to worry about what happens when I hit him.

“I want to get in there close and get in that phone booth. I want that action.

“Even if he was still the Thiago Santos that stepped in front of Jon Jones, I’d still whoop his ass.

“Period. It’s not going to change what’s going to happen – at all.”

It was only three years ago that Santos nearly dethroned the apparently-impenetrable Jones for the UFC light heavyweight championship.

He has struggled since that night where he tore ligaments in both knees that needed a long time away from the octagon, and recovery.

But the Brazilian believes his experience and toughness will get him over the line.

“He (Hill) is a tough opponent,” Santos told reporters.

“Aggressive. He has some KOs, but I have the most KOs in this division in the UFC.

“So let’s see what’s going to happen. Let’s punch each other. Let’s kick each other. Let’s see who is going to stay standing.”

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