For the first time, the UFC Octagon heads to Azerbaijan and the Baku Crystal Hall this weekend as Jamahal Hill takes on Khalil Rountree Jr. The main card airs live on ABC and streams on ESPN+.
Hill and Rountree were originally scheduled to tangle back in June 2024 at UFC 303. However, the bout was scrapped only to be rescheduled for April before it was again called off.
Now, Hill and Rountree are on a collision course, and for "Sweet Dreams," this is the perfect chance to prove himself.
"It's my story, and my story is written and I'm writing it as we speak," Hill told MMA Junkie recently. "I just want to be me and feeling the way I feel in there because I know if I get back to where I was feeling before these injuries, I'm the best in the world."
Hill, a 34-year-old from Chicago, Illinois, is coming off back-to-back losses to Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira since claiming the UFC light heavyweight title in 2023. Prior to his recent sting of defeats, he had won 12 of 14 around a lone loss to Paul Craig and a no-contest.
As for his opponent, Hill claims Rountree is not "on my level."
"In a fight, anybody can land a shot, and that makes them dangerous and can change the fight," he added. "He has my respect in that regard, but to think skill-for-skill he can match with me? I don't see it."