UFC Baku Star Jamahal Hill Once Stunned Hollywood Favorite Halle Berry

Jamahal Hill, during his early days in the UFC was highly-touted and even picked out by Jon Jones as a one to watch out for.

UFC Baku Star Jamahal Hill Once Stunned Hollywood Favorite Halle Berry

Halle Berry and Jamahal Hill (via X)

UFC will host its first Baku event this Saturday at the Baku Crystal Hall with Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. Going into the fight, the former light heavyweight champion is the betting underdog due to his recent poor performances. It is because of his recent bad performances; however, it wasn’t the case in his early UFC days.

Hill made his UFC debut after earning a contract through Dana White’s Contender Series with an impressive and dominant performance. Following his second UFC win, the fighter even received public appreciation from popular Hollywood star and MMA fan Halle Berry. During one of his ESPN interviews with Daniel Cormier, Hill learned about the praise and reacted with visible excitement.

That’s unbelievable, that’s crazy. I appreciate it, I appreciate everybody.

In that fight against Klidson Abreu, Hill scored his first knockout, but the win was overturned due to marijuana use. At that time, Halle Berry was acting in and directing her film Bruised, focused on the life of an MMA fighter. The project brought Berry close to the sport and UFC, increasing her respect for fighters like Hill even more.

Hill then immediately climbed the rankings by defeating notable opponents, proving himself as a serious contender in the light heavyweight division. ‘Sweet Dreams’ continued his rise by beating top contenders like Johnny Walker and Thiago Santos to earn a title shot. Finally, at UFC 283, he defeated veteran Glover Teixeira via. unanimous decision and captured the vacant UFC light heavyweight belt.

However, Hill’s reign was short lived as he vacated the UFC light heavyweight title due to a serious Achilles injury. Afterward, he challenged Alex Pereira for the title who defeated Hill in devastating fashion at the historic UFC 300 event.

Jamahal Hill gets pressed by a media question about his previous losses

Following his loss to Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill made several excuses, blaming the stoppage and criticizing referee Marc Goddard’s decision. His post-fight interviews and social media rants fueled backlash, as fans saw him refusing to give Pereira proper credit. Hill engaged in heated arguments with online fans, calling them casuals and accusing them of not understanding real fighting.

Jamahal Hill interview before UFC Baku
Jamahal Hill interview before UFC Baku (via X)

These actions damaged his public image badly, turning many supporters against him and branding him a sore, disrespectful loser. Following that, he faced Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311 and got brutally TKOed in the third round. At the media day before UFC Baku, Hill was asked about those losses where he gave an unusual, vague answer.

Will my loss to Alex and Jiri affect this fight? How would it do that. Every fight is different, it’s a new fight. That’s a weird question. That’s like a dorky online fan question.

Hill is the underdog against Khalil Rountree Jr. due to recent losses and questions surrounding his mindset after two brutal defeats. Rountree’s last performance was against champion Alex Pereira, where he showed incredible heart and striking before eventually getting finished late. Despite the loss, fans praised Rountree’s aggression and durability making him a dangerous test for Hill’s comeback.

The fight was initially scheduled months earlier but got cancelled after Hill suffered an injury during training camp preparations. UFC then rebooked the matchup once Hill recovered, seeing it as an important crossroads fight for both ranked contenders. With both men coming off setbacks, the bout carries high stakes and could determine the next potential title challenger soon.