The UFC has finalized a date for a banger of a light heavyweight matchup. MMA Fighting confirmed that the planned matchup between Johnny Walker (18-6) and Jamahal Hill (9-1, 1 NC) will take place on February 19th at a UFC Fight Night.
Walker will be looking to bounce back after his last fight. Walker had his first UFC main event when he took on former title challenger Thiago Santos. He didn’t have the best night and Santos was able to walk away with a decision victory.
That loss has seen Walker fall to 1-3 in his last four UFC appearances. When Walker first joined the promotion, he got off to a blistering start by winning his first three fights by first round knockout. However, he injured himself during a victory celebration and really hasn’t been the same.
He was stopped by Corey Anderson and has suffered two additional decision losses. In between there was an impressive win over Ryan Spann, however, he hasn’t been able to maintain the steam he had early on in his UFC career. This fight against Hill is massive for him.
UFC’s Rising Prospect
Jamahal Hill earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series and has made a big impact on the light heavyweight division. After earning his contract, he started out 2-0, 1 NC. That included a knockout win over OSP.
The OSP knockout win earned him a spot against Paul Craig at UFC 263. Going into that fight, Hill wanted to keep things standing for a reason and that played out in the first round. Craig was able to pull guard and actually dislocated Hill’s arm for the win.
After that loss, Hill was booked against Jimmy Crute at a UFC Fight Night. Hill made a massive statement by knocking out Crute in the first minute of the fight. That win has earned him this shot against Johnny Walker.
If he’s able to get the win against Walker next month, I would expect a big step up for Hill in terms of his UFC competition. Hill looks like he can become a top contender and a win over Johnny Walker will show that he’s getting closer to that level.