With just three UFC fights under his belt but more than half of his professional wins coming by way of finish, Hill has quickly made a name for himself in the UFC light heavyweight division. But the 14th-ranked light heavyweight remains dismissive of the hype.
“I think Jamahal Hill is a very, very good striker, but his level of striking for the UFC – I don’t think it’s there. He’s claiming that he’s got the best jab in the division, but I find that really hard to believe. His striking is good, but it’s not UFC level. We’re going to find out if his grappling is UFC-level; that’s what we’ll see next.”
Confident that he’ll hand Hill the first loss of his mixed martial arts career, the “BearJew” said he sees holes in the style that Hill used to stop the likes of Ovince Saint Preux inside of two rounds.
“He doesn’t have a hard guard. He does get caught with strikes, so it’s not as if he’s a very, very tough opponent. His kicks aren’t lethal,” Craig said as he listed off weaknesses he sees in Hill’s game.
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“When you’re thinking about someone whose kicking is dangerous, you’re thinking about someone like (Edson) Barboza. You’re thinking about people who have heavy hands, you’re thinking about your Khalil Rountrees, your Jimmy Crutes. He doesn’t fit in that bracket. He’s very experienced and very athletic, but it’s MMA. It’s a full sport. It’s the grappling, it’s the athleticism, it’s everything.”
