Jamahal Hill looks set for the big leagues. Hill closed out the five-year anniversary of his professional mixed martial arts debut by knocking down Thiago Santos in a heavy-handed affair. Hill stopped Santos from strikes in round 4 of their main event to close out UFC Fight Night at the Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday.
A relatively quiet first lap was a taste of things to come. Hill led with forward pressure as Santos mixed shots and knockdown attempts. UFC Fight Night was full of exciting fights and finishes. That energy seeped through into the second stanza of the main event as Hill shook himself urgently and lifted off Santos’ takedown attempts, opening the door for some wild action. Hill appeared to hurt Santos in a wild exchange and later stopped him with a tight right hook. Santos then threw all his weight behind hard, looping shots that were partially connected. Hill generally remained technical as his opponent slowed down.
“This is not a bar fight,” Santos’ coach told his fighter between the first and second rounds, according to a translator on the UFC broadcast. ‘Damn. What are you doing? This isn’t a bar fight.’
Santos listened to the feedback and his commitment to wrestling paid off in round 3. Hill found it increasingly difficult to reject his opponent’s advances. Santos was unable to do much with the takedowns, but it added a significant wrinkle to the momentum of the fight. Round 4 started the same way Round 2 ended with both men waving big goodbyes. Hill landed more often, but Santos knocked back his enemy’s head with heavy fists. Hill hurt Santos and went for the murder. Both boys swung wildly, but Santos succumbed to the pressure and Hill elbowed away until referee Herb Dean intervened.
“You have to let that experience thing go,” Hill told UFC commentator Michael Bisping after the fight. “You’ve never seen anyone like me. I’ve seen enough like you.’
Hill improved professionally to 11-1, 1 NC and has racked up a winning streak of three fights. Hill then suggested a fight with former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. Santos dropped to 11-22 and has lost five of his last six fights. You can trace Santos’ last winning streak back to 2018-2019.
All 10 fights on Saturday night ended via strike. It is only the second card in modern UFC history to have a 100% finish rate. The other came back in November 2014 when a fight night event featuring Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping in the main event saw all 11 fights end before the final bell.