Jiri Prochazka criticizes Khalil Rountree 'careful' win over Jamahal Hill
Rountree (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) defeated former champion Jamahal Hill (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) by unanimous decision in their UFC on ABC 8 main event June 21 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Rountree dropped Hill in Round 3, but wasn't able to finish him. Prochazka (31-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who knocked out Hill at UFC 311, thinks Rountree was tentative throughout the fight, and let his foot off the gas pedal.
"A very careful performance, patient," Prochazka said of Rountree's win over Hill on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "My opinion, I don't like that. I don't like that performance because he gave Jamahal too many chances to be back in the fight, a chance to win the fight. He had many chances to finish him decisively. So, that was really not good from him. He was very patient.
"What surprised me was Jamahal Hill's performance. I thought after a lot of trash talking, he would show a much better fight than he showed. It was strange from Khalil that he let him recover and still survive the fight, and Jamahal didn't show anything, and he was still too self confident after the fight. If you want to fight on the top level, go there and show your best, totally, no regrets."
Former champion Prochazka meets former title challenger Rountree in a three-round bout at UFC 320 on Oct. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Prochazka hopes it's a No. 1 contender bout.
Prochazka revealed that he will weigh in as a backup for the night's headliner between light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Rinya Nakamura surprised by quick TKO finish at UFC on ESPN 71
What a nice surprise for Rinya Nakamura. LAS VEGAS – Many expected Rinya Nakamura to get a quick stoppage win over Nathan Fletcher, but don't count Nakamura as part of that group. Nakamura (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was surprised he only needed 62 seconds to stop Fletcher (9-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at Saturday's UFC on ESPN 71 – which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Nakamura hit Fletcher with a body kick that folded him and sent him down on the canvas, and then just needed a few follow-up shots to his fourth UFC win. The Japanese prospect is happy with the victory, but admits it wasn't part of his game plan. "I'm so happy and surprised because I expected this fight to be more scramble game, more grappling game, so I prepared for it, and it didn't happen," Nakamura said at the UFC on ESPN 71 post-fight press conference. "I feel kind of surprised." Nakamura's plan was to use his high-level wrestling – which he underutilized in his last fight in January. However, a few seconds in the fight, he saw an opening for the fight-ending shot. "I didn't try to knock him out by kicking his liver," Nakamura said. "I just saw his stomach was kind of open, so I just lift my hand, so he tries to come into me and the timing was good." Nakamura feels renewed with his move to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, South Florida. This was the first camp under this new gym, and he's already feeling the effects of it. "After my first loss in my MMA career, I was talking to myself, 'What are you going to do in your life? What are you going to achieve in your life?' I repeat that again and again,' Nakamura said. "I want to be a UFC champion to show my love and harmony. That made me decide to move to Florida to train at American Top Team. I trained in one of the highest levels in the gym. I'm taking back my confidence, and that showed tonight."
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Michael Bisping suggests Tatsuro Taira face former champ before UFC title shot
Michael Bisping thinks Tatsuro Taira will need another victory before he's undeniable for a UFC flyweight title shot. Taira (17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) rebounded from his first career loss in a big way Saturday at UFC on ESPN 71 when he submitted short-notice replacement opponent HyunSung Park in the second round at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. After the fight, Taira told Bisping, who was in the commentary booth with Brendan Fitzgerald and Dominick Cruz, that he would like to fight for the belt against the winner of champ Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van. Bisping, however, thinks Taira needs to further elevate his resume with one more win, and a fight against a former 125-pound champion like Brandon Moreno (23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC) would prove his spot. "He calls for a title fight. I get that, but I was like, 'You've got to have one more fight first,'" Bisping said on the UFC on ESPN 71 broadcast. "I'm not the matchmaker. I don't make those decisions, but that seems logical. It would seem he would have to have one more fight. Who should that fight be against? "I've got a choice: It is the former champion Brandon Moreno. Tell me you don't want to see that fight? That would show you the level of Tatsuro Taira and also allow Brandon Moreno to get back in the mix – not that he's not in the mix, of course. Moreno, 31, most recently competed in March when he earned a unanimous decision victory over Steve Erceg at UFC on ESPN 64. The Mexican has intentions of fighting for the belt in his own right, and extending his winning streak to three over Taira, 25, would be a statement for his own career, as well.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
38-year-old Neil Magny sets goal to re-enter UFC welterweight rankings
LAS VEGAS – Don't count Neil Magny out of the world's best just yet. Following an impressive TKO win over Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, Magny, 38, made it clear that he intends to work his way back to the official UFC welterweight rankings, and be once again among the top 15 fighters in his weight class. Magny (30-13 MMA, 23-12 UFC) stopped Zaleski dos Santos (25-10-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) this past Saturday in the main card of UFC on ESPN 71 – which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The first goal for Magny was to get back in the win column, and with that checked out, he now looks up the top 15 of the welterweight division. "I tell everybody, you just have to set those goals and start knocking them out," Magny told MMA Junkie at the UFC on ESPN 71 post-fight press conference. "Goal 1 was to go out there a d get a win, that part is done. Now let's go find the next opponent, and hopefully it gets me closer to the rankings, and before you know it, I'm right back in there, ready to go." Magny, who's been fighting in the UFC since 2013, was coming off stoppage loses to young contenders Michael Morales and Carlos Prates prior to UFC on ESPN 71. With the win, not only was he able to stop a skid, but he also furthered his record for the most wins in UFC welterweight history. Despite nearing 40 years of age and having over 40 professional MMA fights, "The Haitian Sensation" is still feeling good, and very much liked the way he performed against Zaleski dos Santos. "Man, I felt great," Magny said. "Elizeu is a great opponent, he's a veteran as well. He made some really good adjustments in his training camp to come out here and fight in a way he thought he had the best chance of winning. He definitely pulled a different approach than what we're used to seeing from him in film. It just made him be an offensive grappler in that fight, but we're both veterans, and we figure out a way to get it done." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 38-year-old Neil Magny sets goal to re-enter UFC welterweight rankings
