G. Durinho stands out in the UFC welterweight division. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
The rivalry between Jamahal Hill and Alex Poatan continues to stir up the UFC backstage, and now, a new revelation from Gilbert Durinho adds even more fuel to the 'flame' of the fight. During his presence at UFC 310 , held last Saturday (7), the Niteroi native shared a conversation with the American and gave details about the provocations to the current light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg).
According to Durinho, Hill was not naive in his actions and, contrary to what many thought, he would have provoked Poatan strategically, calculating the impact that his attitude would have in the future.
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“I was at Vicente Luque ’s weight cut (before UFC 310 ) and, suddenly, Jamahal Hill shows up , huge, shirtless, and looking like he just came from a party. So I nudged him: 'Hey, man! What about that mess? You stirred things up, didn’t you?'. That’s when he explained to me what happened,” Durinho recounted.
The Brazilian narrated Hill's response with a curious analogy. According to him, to keep the rivalry alive, the fighter needed to 'stir the pot' to prevent the 'food from spoiling'.
“He told me that the food was almost petrifying, and if he didn’t do anything, the rivalry would cool down. So, it was a marketing ploy. Hill confessed that his intention was to create a buzz, a confusion, because, at the end of the day, what matters is talking about him. He said he didn’t care if they spoke well or badly, because the objective was to keep his name on people’s lips,” Durinho added.
What happened between Alex Poatan and Jamahal Hill?
The incident, which recently occurred at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, generated considerable buzz. Alex Poatan even threw gloves at Jamahal Hill during a training session, challenging him to a sparring match.
The verbal confrontation, which culminated in challenger Jamahal Hill throwing taunts at the current UFC light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg), appears to have been a tactic to keep the spotlight on him, since Hill and Poatan faced each other in April of this year at UFC 300. On that occasion, the Brazilian gave his rival no chance and delivered a devastating first-round defeat.
In his next fight, scheduled for UFC 311 , the American will face Jiri Prochazka , and, if he wins, he should secure another opportunity to compete for the title in the category.
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