Why is Jamahal Hill more dangerous than Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311?

That is an opinion that makes many viewers reconsider when looking at the fight between Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill at UFC 311.

Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill

Not only the two title fights, but UFC 311 also attracts attention with the showdown between two former light heavyweight champions: Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill.

The “painful” point for this pair is that they are both seen as stepping stones for the current champion, Alex Pereira. Both of them suffered losses in the main events of major events (UFC 295, UFC 300, and UFC 303).

It is not an exaggeration to say that this will be a fight to determine who is the “better runner-up.” A sad description, but necessary for them at this point. According to former UFC champion Luke Rockhold, Jamahal seems to have a slight advantage in this matchup.

“This is going to be a tough fight. We don’t know where Jiri is at mentally and emotionally. Both of them just came off very bad losses to Pereira. He seems to refuse to look at himself. He knows what he needs to do, but then fights like a puppet. I didn’t like the way Jiri fought in his last match against Pereira.”

“He seems unwilling to follow the strategy. I’m not sure anymore. Does he think he can just stand there and do some Karate, Kung Fu moves? You can’t do that and put yourself in danger like that. You can’t fight with your hands down and just charge into your opponent. You have to identify his weaknesses, but he doesn’t even try to find them.”

“Jamahal Hill is much more dangerous. He has power, explosiveness, and looks for opportunities to finish, like in some rather bizarre moments when he’s very explosive and hard to take down. Look at his fight with Glover [Teixeira], he can stand there and find ways to land his finishing strikes. But as I said, this is an opportunity to reshape both of them, and you never know. I might lean toward Jamahal this time.”

The Prochazka vs. Hill fight also receives just as much attention as the two title bouts at UFC 311

Jamahal Hill has had more time to rest since his loss at UFC 300, which occurred in April 2024. On the other hand, Prochazka, within 8 months (from November 2023 to June 2024), suffered two very severe knockout losses. Indeed, when it comes to the pressure of competition, Jiri Prochazka is dealing with much more.

So, what about “doing Karate, Kung Fu”? It seems that the “Samurai” from the Czech Republic is still steadfast in pursuing his ideals. He continues to share images of himself training Karate in Japan and has only returned to focusing on training in the past two months.

Jiri Prochazka will truly face an opponent as dangerous as Alex Pereira. Jamahal Hill possesses the qualities strong enough to cause an upset, as Luke Rockhold has pointed out. With these factors in play, it’s clear that the showdown at UFC 311 could create a new clash in the history of the light heavyweight division in the promotion.

Jiri Prochazka

UFC 311 Jiri Prochazka: Jamahal Hill’s nonsense only shows that he’s not confident

Before determining who is the better fighter at UFC 311, Jiri Prochazka wants to position himself in a way that makes him “immune” to the words of Jamahal Hill.

UFC 311 will not only feature two important title fights with Khabib’s protégés, but also a clash between two former light heavyweight champions: Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill.

In the past, both Prochazka and Hill could have faced each other at various points. However, injuries led them to relinquish their championship titles, and they lost that opportunity.

When they returned, both suffered defeats to the reigning champion, Alex Pereira. While Hill was quickly defeated in round 1 at UFC 300, Prochazka lost twice at UFC 295 and UFC 303. However, Prochazka also secured a TKO victory at UFC 300 against Aleksandar Rakic.

Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill will face off at UFC 311

Both seen as the “runner-ups” and “victims” of Alex Pereira, Hill once mocked Prochazka for suffering two defeats. But once again, Prochazka shows his mindset of not caring about his opponent’s words.

“He’s the opponent I’ve wanted for a long time, with that mouth talking so much about me and my style. Now it’s time to settle this, that’s it, I’m ready to show the best version of myself.”

Prochazka believes that Jamahal Hill is just using words to fabricate confidence

“I don’t care about what he says because it’s not just directed at me; it also shows what’s going on in his head. I don’t worry about what people say about me, because when you understand human psychology and how people perceive everything around them, especially when he doesn’t know me. He only knows my fighting style and yet has no real commentary.”

“That’s why I don’t care about that trash talk. You know when a man is truly confident. He doesn’t need to ramble about anyone, doesn’t need to praise his own strengths or point out his opponent’s weaknesses, because he’s confident in himself.”

“That is the true strength of a man. I don’t like to talk much, because I believe it’s a weakness to babble nonsense about your opponent. I will just step in there, and my actions will speak for themselves.”

Currently, Jiri Prochazka remains second in the rankings, just above Jamahal Hill. The fight at UFC 311, aside from determining who is stronger, could also decide the next title shot opportunity for both fighters.