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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 16: Jamahal Hill is seen on stage during the UFC 311 press conference at Intuit Dome on January 16, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
“Sweet Dreams” is moving up.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight championJamahal Hill is joining the recent trend of 205-pound fighters moving up to Heavyweight, bailing on the division where he once held UFC gold.
“I’m gonna go ahead and say it now: I’m going to Heavyweight,” Hill announced on his podcast. “That’s the announcement. Breaking news. So, I’m officially going to say it. I’m going to Heavyweight. It’s been something I’ve been working on now for a few months, putting on the necessary weight and putting on the muscle and everything like that to move up. Yeah, wouldn’t it be better if I came back and won the Heavyweight title? I think double champ is better than two-time champ. I like the way it sounds.”
Hill fought 17 times at Light Heavyweight, with 11 of those fights coming inside the Octagon. The former champion also gets very big in between fights, so it felt like only a matter of time before he got sick of cutting down to 205 pounds.
And as for his first opponent in his new weight class, Hill already has a name in mind: red-hot Heavyweight prospect-turned contender Josh Hokit.
“As far as Hokit goes, that’s what I want. That’s exactly the fight I want,” Hill said. “I didn’t even really know about him before he fought Curtis Blaydes — shoutout to him for making a name for himself. I have no problems with the antics at all. But yeah, 100 percent, Josh Hokit is a fight I want as my Heavyweight debut. Why not? Former UFC champion, come on. Come get some.”
With Hokit on an absolute tear and possibly nearing a title shot, it seems doubtful that he would go backward and welcome Hill to the division.
But anything is possible, especially if UFC likes the name value.
“I don’t want to give a for-sure timeline,” Hill said. “I would really like to fight on the MSG card. If not, maybe headlining one of the cards towards the end of the year or something like that. That’s the plan to come back in 2026. If they can’t figure anything out with that, beginning of the year, first quarter, right at the beginning for sure.”
Hill has not competed since losing a lackluster unanimous decision to Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC Baku last June. Late last year, Hill revealed he had to undergo knee surgery that was expected to keep him out until late 2026.
The former champion is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, with losses to Rountree, Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira in the UFC 300 main event.
So, yeah, a fresh start at Heavyweight might not be the worst idea.
It’s worth noting that Johnny Walker, Aleksandar Rakic, and, of course, Pereira have all left the Light Heavyweight division.
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