{"id":38845,"date":"2026-06-17T21:16:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Former-UFC-champ-announces-change-in-weight-class-201564"},"modified":"2026-06-17T21:16:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:16:16","slug":"former-ufc-champ-announces-change-in-weight-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/former-ufc-champ-announces-change-in-weight-class\/","title":{"rendered":"Former UFC champ announces change in weight class"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n
\n
<\/center>\n<\/div>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

\nJamahal Hill’s light heavyweight tenure was highlighted by a
\ntitle victory over Glover Teixeira. | Getty\/UFC<\/b><\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Jamahal
\nHill<\/a> is leaving the light heavyweight division.<\/p>\n

The former
\nUFC<\/a> champ announced plans to move to heavyweight on his YouTube
\nchannel. The 35-year-old known as \u201cSweet Dreams\u201d hasn\u2019t competed
\nsince June 2025, when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to
\nKhalil
\nRountree<\/a> in the UFC on ABC 8 main event. Hill has been
\nsidelined by a knee injury since then.<\/p>\n

“I’m going to go ahead and say it now: I’m going to heavyweight,”
\nHill said. “That’s the announcement, breaking news. So, I’m
\nofficially going to say it: I’m going to heavyweight. It’s been
\nsomething I’ve been working on now for a few months, putting on the
\nnecessary weight and putting on the muscle and everything like that
\nto move up.<\/p>\n

“Yeah, wouldn’t it be better if I came back and went and won the
\nheavyweight title? I think that means more than winning the light
\nheavyweight title again. They both mean a lot. I think double champ
\nis better than two-time champ, though. I like the way it
\nsounds.”<\/p>\n

Hill captured the vacant light heavyweight crown with a five-round
\nverdict over Glover
\nTeixeira<\/a> at UFC 283 in January 2023. He had to relinquish the
\nbelt after rupturing his Achilles tendon in a pickup basketball
\ngame. Hill returned for a title shot at UFC 300, where fell to then
\nchampion Alex
\nPereira<\/a> via first-round KO. That was part of a three-bout skid
\nthat also included setbacks to Jiri
\nProchazka<\/a> and Rountree.<\/p>\n

The
\nDana White’s Contender Series<\/a> alum has targeted fast rising
\nheavyweight Josh Hokit<\/a>,
\nwho stopped Derrick
\nLewis<\/a> on the UFC White House card, as a potential opponent in
\nhis new weight class. Hill hopes to return by the end of 2026 if
\npossible.<\/p>\n

“I don’t want to give a for-sure timeline,” Hill said. “I would
\nreally like to fight on the MSG card. … If not, maybe headline
\none of the cards toward the end of the year or something like that.
\nThat\u2019s the plan, to come back in 2026 at the latest. If we can’t
\nfigure nothing out with that, beginning of the year, first quarter,
\nright at the beginning for sure.”<\/p>\n