The past week was marked by a new controversy involving Jamahal Hill , who, after seeing Alex Poatan crowned Fighter of the Year at the MMA Awards, didn't hold back his criticism. The American, who has had a rivalry with the Brazilian since his defeat at UFC 300 , expressed dissatisfaction with the award and pointed out his favorite for the prize.
In an interview with Helen Yee Sports, Hill expressed his frustration with Poatan's selection. The former champion stated that, for him, the true Fighter of the Year should be Georgian Ilia Topuria , the featherweight champion (up to 65,7kg) who dethroned names like Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
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“For me, Fighter of the Year is Ilia Topuria . It was a close race between Alex and him. Alex had good finishes, fought in big events and had great performances. But, for me, (the fighter of the year) was Ilia Topuria because of the fights that left me thinking 'Oh, wow' and for what he was able to do against Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway ,” said the former champion.
The statement did not go unnoticed, especially considering the intense rivalry between Jamahal Hill and Alex Poatan , fueled since their confrontation at UFC 300 , when the Brazilian spectacularly knocked out his opponent in the first round.
The former light heavyweight champion seems to be having trouble accepting his defeat to Poatan and continues to provoke the Brazilian, especially on social media, where the tension between the two shows no signs of abating. They even almost came to blows.
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