Jamahal Hill is not happy about how the UFC treated him in its pound-for-pound ranking.
The former light heavyweight champ is currently recovering from an injury that forced him to vacate the belt. Nonetheless, he still hasn’t forgotten how the promotion reacted to his victories when he was put into its pound-for-pound ranking. And now that he’s no longer on the said list after taking off his belt, his frustration just grew bigger.
“I’m disrespected in every aspect,” Hill said on the Overdogs Podcast. “(It’s) got me f*cked up all over the place, but it is what it is. People look at it like I’m a knockout guy, but I’m a martial artist. I’m a champion for a reason. I didn’t come in one-dimensional. I don’t think I can just go in and punch everybody to sleep. I understand I’m going to have to be versatile in my game and be able to win in different areas to ultimately stay where I want to be, on top of this game in this division. … The proper respect ain’t put to my name.
The pound-for-pound ranking is generated by a voting panel made up of media members. However, for Hill, there is a difference in how he was treated and other fighters in the UFC banner.
“When I won the title, I can’t think of the last time somebody became a champion and they were ranked outside of the top 10 pound-for-pound rankings,” Hill said. “Go look at anybody else who’s won a title. Sean O’Malley, it doesn’t matter who it is. They were put in the top 10.
“(Alexandre) Pantoja, they were all put in the top 10. If you win a title, you’re already top of a weight class. They never put me above 12. Jiri (Prochazka) is still on the pound-for-pound list. I was taken off the pound-for-pound list, which is cool, but it’s a way to gauge the respect and the perception.”
