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Jon Anik can have the most effective seat in the home for the stacked UFC 300, which closes out with a captivating mild heavyweight title struggle between champ Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill.
Anik calls the motion with Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier on Saturday at T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas. Whereas there are numerous questions surrounding the headliner, in line with Anik, the largest one pertains to the challenger, who’s getting back from a ruptured Achilles after simply 9 months.
“This principal occasion is unbelievable,” Anik informed MMA Combating. “Folks don’t perceive the extent to which Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira is already a celebrity. Like, this man walks right into a constructing and other people flip heads prefer it’s f****** JFK. “There’s one thing about this man, and the truth that at 9-2 as an MMA professional, he’s already a two-division UFC champion and future Corridor of Famer is insane. So ‘Poatan’ actually deserves to headline this card.
“Jamahal Hill, skill-wise, is criminally underappreciated. So for me, my solely query mark with the primary occasion is Jamahal Hill’s Achilles, which he intends to substantiate to me — I’m certain on the fighter assembly that it’s one hundred pc good to go, all techniques go. So I feel the primary occasion is improbable. I’m actually excited for this struggle card. … However dude, it’s only one principal occasion after the following, man. I informed you earlier, I’m getting nervous.”
Hill captured UFC gold when he defeated Glover Teixeira in the primary occasion of UFC 283 in January 2023, however he relinquished the championship earlier than he may defend it after struggling his damage in July. Pereira picked up the ball and ran with it, successful his second divisional world title at UFC 295 by stopping former champ Jiri Prochazka.
Pereira carries a quiet confidence into the bout, whereas Hill is approaching the matchup very similar to Ilia Topuria did when Topuria stopped Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 — altering his Instagram bio to UFC champ, carrying an unbelievable little bit of swagger, and virtually dismissing Pereira like he is aware of one thing the world doesn’t.
If he wins, Hill possible is acknowledged because the world’s greatest 205-pounder. If “Candy Goals” doesn’t get his hand raised, it may very well be a troublesome go for the one-time champion.
Anik understands why Hill is coming into the struggle on this method, and it principally stems from not getting the respect he deserves.
“Effectively, my former broadcast associate Brian Stann all the time says, ‘Self perception is simply crucial factor once you’re attempting to be pursuant of something essential,’ so I really like Jamahal Hill’s self-belief,” Anik defined. “However what I actually love, bro, is the athleticism. A bit little bit of that American conceitedness, proper? He believes this, and lots of people like me, simply MMA observers, if I’m an expert within the house, positive, however simply the MMA fan in me actually does really feel like he’s underrated by way of his software of that athleticism throughout the entire totally different blended martial arts.
“He’s a prepared grappler, outstandingly gifted striker, I do suppose he’s received just a little little bit of that dying contact as nicely in terms of punches. I simply marvel concerning the the sturdiness, and he actually answered a whole lot of cardio questions within the Glover Teixeira struggle. However he’s coping with a man who, I feel, attracts rave critiques for being like the toughest employee within the room. I imply, Alex ‘Poatan’ has a definite urge for food and keenness, seemingly, for buying MMA information, and he’s been within the health club bettering each step of the best way, whereas I feel Jamahal Hill has been doing a whole lot of work recovering.
“So, it’s a captivating struggle, and I feel the betting line, as I discussed earlier, speaks to simply how shut it may very well be, and the way shut it’s on paper.”
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