JRE MMA Show #136 with Jamahal Hill

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And we're up. What's up, champ? Pleasure to do this. Pleasure to have you in here, man.

Thank you for having me, man. I appreciate it.

That was a phenomenal performance in Brazil against Glover to share in his hometown last minute. How much time did you have to prep for that?

I had about six weeks.

Oh, you did have six last, but you knew that it was supposed to be three rounds, and then they changed it to the title for five rounds, right? No, that was right after Ankolayev and Yan Bohovich.

So right from there, legitimately called me while they were still.

Wow.

Yeah. While they were still in the gauge.

If you wanted a full camp for a five round fight, though, what would you prefer? Like, how much time do you really need?

I prefer maybe like eight weeks. About eight to ten weeks.

So slightly abbreviated. But your performance was phenomenal, man. I mean, it was amazing to see you pick apart Glover like that and to do so well on the ground, too. That was a big victory.

Yeah. A lot of people thought that I couldn't do it. I don't know. That was just a general assumption was that I couldn't grapple on the ground and things like that when that's definitely.

But you're getting that general assumption from who, though?

People online just picks, you know what I mean? Just like, people and analysts then. Any, like, the fighters or whatever that I talk to, they were like, they always say. It's always something that they say. Even guys in the division, they were like, oh, he's just a boxer. I don't know if he can really wrestle or if he can really has kicks or anything like that. They're questioning the kicks, too.

That's some of the biggest moments in the fight. That left high kick yours? Yeah. Well, people are going to question you until they can't anymore. That's how it goes. There's always, I don't know about this guy, and then all of a sudden, he's the best ever. You never know, right?

And that's why I'm just hungry for names, man. I'm hungry for the next challenge.

What did it feel like when they strapped that thing around your waist, man?

It's a hard thing to describe. It was just, like, almost like, unreal. Like almost like living almost like in a dream, dreams that I've had, and it was just like. I don't know, it was crazy. Just the weight of everything that I did and been through and everything. It was a lot.

Yeah, it seemed like a lot. It's a lot for everybody. That's a moment that very few human beings will ever achieve. There's it right now.

Yeah. That's when he told me that he was about to retire.

I mean, it's amazing how long that dude has hung in there. He was the boogeyman for six know. For six years, Glover lived in Brazil, and he couldn't get a visa. And this was, like, in the early days, like, when Chuck Liddell was the UFC light heavyweight champion. That's how far back Glover goes, right?

I heard someone about, like, he went pro in 2001.

Yeah, crazy, right? Crazy.

That's wild.

22 years later, and then still fighting for the world. That fight with Yura Prohaska where he lost the title, I mean, that was a crazy close fight until he got caught in that choke. He was ahead.

I think he was.

Yeah, he was ahead in that fight.

I believe it was.

That video that you made to Yuri was hilarious. We played it on the podcast.

Yeah, man. Can't let it slide.

That's what she said.

That was the first thing that came in my head. Whatever you said, I'm coming. He's ruined the phrase for me now. I can't say it at all, no matter what. Somebody called me and be like, oh, I'm coming. I'm coming.

He's an OD duck. That dude's an OD duck. He's strange. He's very, very different. Do you see? Like, when he was fighting Glover and Glover was beating him up, he was like, good job, good job.

Yeah, like, tapping him on it.

I thought it was like, well, you can't do that, man.

It looks like you're tapping, tapping.

Like, what are you doing? He's like, good job, good job. But he's saying good job. And I think, was it Mark Goddard.

Who was a referee?

I think it was Mark Goddard. Whoever it was was warning him. It's like, hey, don't fucking slap him and say good job. You can't do just, what a weird thing to do. Guys on top of you. Rain and blows down. You're like, good job. Good job.

Yeah, bro. I don't know. Only thing I can think of would be possibly. It could be like, just like a tactic to try to make it seem like all, like, no matter what, you're wasting your time, right? Type thing. Try to get in their head, because I think even with the whole samurai thing, he obviously wants this image to be believed of him like that. But I just seen him when I was at the PI a couple of days ago, and he's a nice dude. He walked up. He's like, nice to meet you, things like that. And then I came back the next day. I was going into PT, and he was working. He's like. He's like, I'm working on, like, I might take your time. Do your thing.

He's already had the shoulder surgery, right?

I don't know. I would assume if he's already trying to read.

Yeah, I'm sure he has, because apparently his shoulder was the worst shoulder they had ever seen. The UFC doctors had never seen a shoulder that fucked up before. Do you know what happened to him?

No.

His shoulder went out of socket in training camp, and they tried to put it back in, and these dudes are yanking on it. These just gym dudes yanking on it, and they fucked it up way worse.

Yeah, that's never a good idea.

Go to a fucking doctor, man. You're a world champion.

World champion.

And he had to give up his title like that. Well, it's interesting that he did decide to give up his title. He could have held onto it, and they could have had an interim title, and you could be fighting him for the undisputed title, but instead, he's like, no, I'm going to give up my title. That's why I feel like he's an OD, dude.

That's strange, because that's not only, like. I don't think. That's not only, like, a bad move legacy wise, that's a bad business move. Yeah, because now, your next fight, you fight as a challenger, you don't get the same pay per view buys. You don't get the same amount of money or none of that.

Yeah, it doesn't make any sense. I could imagine the thought process behind it. Like, you want to be noble, but you got to take care of money, bro. You got to take care of your money. I mean, how many world title fights you get if you're lucky, if everything goes perfect? And he should know now, especially being injured, like, hey, this could happen. And you could get a catastrophic injury, and you could be out for a year or so. You never know.

I think it was a play of him trying to be noble, just trying to be noble, trying to, like, he does the right thing where he respects the warrior.

I like how you're thinking about it, like 3d chess. Like, what is this motherfucker doing, for real?

I'm trying to tell you, man. I think a lot of what he does is meant to put a certain image in your head.

I'm sure it makes sense. It would be smart to do. I mean, he's got a weird image. He's out there throwing kicks at trees. He's like, wraps a tree up in a foam pad and starts punching it and kicking it.

Like yelling in the woods?

Yeah, like, okay, man, you know, gyms are better. Gyms are definitely better than a tree.

I want to know what it is about being in the woods that just makes them wants to yell. What is it? Are you upset with the trees? Do you just feel alone?

It's like something.

Do you want to be heard? I mean, these are all things.

Do you want to be heard?

Right?

Yeah. Does it make you more noble or sophisticated to be in the woods? What is it? Remember when Rocky was training for drago and Rocky IV? Went to the woods running in the snow, carrying logs and shit?

I think, matter of fact, it makes me feel weird just even saying it in the I'm coming video. Damn it. Damn it. I don't know another way.

That's what she said. Where you at, though? This is the video, by the way.

That's what she said. That's what she said. And the one that he did, though, it's like an axe in a tree stump in the background.

Yeah.

Did you notice that?

No, I didn't notice that.

Yeah, bro, he's probably out there chopping wood. Wood?

Yeah. I don't know. Look at him.

I'm coming, I'm coming.

It is fucking weird.

I guess I wasn't an axe. Yeah, I might have been high when I said it. Could have just been that post right there. Yeah.

I don't see an axe. He's a strange cat, man. That's a strange cat.

That was just like, yeah, I don't know, man, I'm coming.

Did you think he's next? Have they have any conversations with you about who's going to be your first title defense as the champion of the fucking world? Whoo.

Sounds good.

Sounds good, right? And you earned the fuck out of that, too.

Yeah, man. Glover was tough, man. He's so tough. You all said that, right? I think we need to put a little bit more emphasis on it because it's not just that he's tough, he's tough. And while he's being tough, he's still fighting intelligently. You get what I'm saying?

Yeah.

So for not 1 second did I hit him with something, and it was like, oh, shit. I was like, I don't want to get hit with whatever's next cover up. You know what I mean?