Jamahal Hill appears to be equipped for the majors. Hill beat Thiago Santos with a heavy hand as he neared the five-year mark since his professional mixed martial arts debut. To end UFC Fight Night at the Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday, Hill submitted Santos with strikes in Round 4.
A opening round that was largely unremarkable served as an introduction to what was to follow. Santos combined strikes and takedown attempts as Hill took the lead in applying forward pressure. There were many thrilling matches and finishes on UFC Fight Night. As Hill quickly shucked off and got back up from Santos’ takedown attempts in the second stanza of the main event, the door was opened for some wild action. In a heated exchange, Hill looked to hurt Santos before stalling him later with a tight right hook. Santos then put all of his weight behind a series of powerful, looping shots that just partially connected. As his opponent slowed, Hill often maintained his technical play.
Between the first and second rounds, Santos’ trainer allegedly informed his fighter, via a translator on the UFC broadcast, “This is not a bar fight.” “I’m sorry. Doing what, exactly? This isn’t a brawl in a bar.”
Santos took note of the criticism, and in Round 3, his dedication to the sport of wrestling paid off. Defending himself against his opponent’s advances became increasingly challenging for Hill. With the takedowns, Santos was not able to achieve much, but it gave the fight’s momentum an essential new twist. Both fighters made a huge opening swing in Round 4 much like they did in Round 2. Hill made more landings, but Santos used his powerful hands to force his opponent’s head back. Santos was injured by Hill, who then moved in for the kill. Both men swung frantically, but Santos gave way under the pressure, and Hill continued to fire elbows until referee Herb Dean stepped in.
After the fight, Hill told UFC announcer Michael Bisping, “Y’all gotta let that experience thing go.” “You guys have never met somebody like me. Though I’ve seen many people just like you.”
Hill has put together a three-fight victory streak and moved to 11-1, 1 NC in the professional ring. Next, Hill suggested that Jan Blachowicz, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, be fought. Santos lost his past six fights, dropping his record to 22-11. Santos’ previous winning run dates back to the years 2018–2019.
On Saturday night, all 10 fights came to a stop. Only two UFC fight cards in recent memory have had a 100% finishing percentage. The other occurred in November 2014 at a Fight Night event with Michael Bisping vs. Luke Rockhold as the main event, where all 11 fights were called off before to the final horn.
