‘Sweet Dreams’ defends wrestling-heavy attack from Brazilian slugger to score late TKO.
LAS VEGAS — Jamahal Hill announced himself as a legitimate contender in UFC’s light heavyweight division with an impressive TKO finish over former title challenger Thiago Santos.
The matchup served as the main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 40 event, which aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.
Striking a wide stance at the start of the fight, Hill kept his range early. After landing a powerful kick to the legs, Santos went for a takedown in the opening minute, drawing a smile from Hill, who started to move forward a little more aggressively on the feet. Santos circled right and tried to set up a few big counters before electing to shoot inside again, though Hill defended well against the fence.
In the clinch, a Hill knee landed to the cup, causing a brief timeout, and though both men picked up the aggression on the restart, neither landed clean before the bell.
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Hill pressed to start the second, chopping at the lead leg and looking to work a jab. Santos again surprised with a takedown, briefly dragging the action to the floor, though he couldn’t secure top position. Hill alertly scrambled back to his feet and eventually pulled away, landing a few sharp punches in the ensuing scramble.
After a brief clinch, both men starting teeing off on the feet, though it was Hill’s right end that looked most effective. Santos appeared to tire a bit as the round wore on, though Hill was forced to respect his opponent’s power when looking to aggressively attack. Still, Hill clearly got the best of the exchanges for the remainder of the frame.
Santos earned a quick takedown in the opening seconds of the third, and he was relentless with the efforts as Hill continually scrambled up and defended. Santos did work briefly to the back in one exchange, but Hill bumped him away and escaped the threat.
Santos continued to initiate grappling exchanges for the remainder of the round, keeping Hill on defense and limiting his opportunities to mount any offense.
Opening the fourth, Hill appeared to be the fresher man, and he stalked with punches as Santos looked to retreat and counter. Santos still threw with power, but he struggled to find the mark. Eventually, Hill was able to land clean with a combination that sent his opponent crashing to the floor. Hill followed and refused to allow Santos time to recover, unleashing a barrage of punches and elbows that brought an end to the fight at the 2:31 mark of the frame.
With the result, Hill (11–1 MMA, 5–1 UFC) now boasts a three-fight winning streak built since suffering the lone loss of his career and said he’s ready to challenge the division’s absolute best, regardless of any perceived lack of experience he might have.
“Y’all gotta let that experience stuff go,” Hill said after the fight. “Y’all ain’t never experienced nobody like me. I’ve seen plenty like y’all though.”
With the loss, Santos (22–11 MMA, 14–10 UFC) has now dropped two straight.
Complete UFC on ESPN 40 results include:
MAIN CARD
Jamahal Hill def. Thiago Santos via TKO (punches, elbows) – Round 4, 2:31
Geoff Neal def. Vicente Luque via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 2:01
Mohammed Usman def. Zac Pauga via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 0:36 – “The Ultimate Fighter 30” finale
Juliana Miller def. Brogan Walker via TKO (punches, elbows) – Round 3, 3:57 – “The Ultimate Fighter 30” finale
Sergey Spivac def. Augusto Sakai via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:42
Terrance McKinney def. Erick Gonzalez via submission (standing rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:17
PRELIMINARY CARD
Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Sam Alvey via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 1:56
Bryan Battle def. Takashi Sato via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 0:44
Cory McKenna def. Miranda Granger via submission (Von Flue choke) – Round 2, 1:03
Mayra Bueno Silva def. Stephanie Egger via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:17
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