UFC Baku went down last Saturday (June 21, 2025) inside Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan, leaving several fighters feeling the post-fight blues, despite there being only two finishes on the card with 10 bouts going to decision.
Among them was Ignacio Bahamondes, who saw his three-fight win streak go up in smoke at the hands of a rejuvenated Rafael Fiziev. And Tofiq Musayev, who had a rude welcome to the Octagon after he was submitted by Myktybek Orolbai (highlights).
But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?
Jamahal Hill.
Coming into his heading bout against Khalil Rountree Jr., Hill was focused on getting back on track and securing a much-needed win for his confidence after losing his last two fights via KO/TKO at the hands of Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.
Unfortunately for “Sweet Dreams” it was another nightmare inside the Octagon.
For five rounds, Rountree Jr. was at the top of his game when it came to his striking attack, especially his kicks, which hurt Hill repeatedly all night long. After “War Horse” knocked him down a few times, Hill’s fate was sealed, making it easier for the judges to award Rountree Jr. a unanimous decision win. Hill’s showing was nothing short of disappointing, though all credit to Rountree Jr. for putting on one of the best performances of his entire career.
Now on a three-fight losing streak, Hill finds himself in no-man’s land moving forward because a title shot is completely out of his reach. Speaking of titles, Hill’s short-lived reign as 205-pound champion now comes into question. He won the strap by defeating Glover Teixeira, who was 44 years old at the time. He never got to defend the belt since he vacated it due to injury, but his output since then shows that the belt would not have lasted in his possession for too long.
Will “Sweet Dreams” ever make it to another title fight? It’s not impossible, but also not very likely if he stays at 205 pounds. Dropping to Middleweight is also an option, but there is no telling if his body can make that adjustment. Heavyweight is a lot less crowded at the top these days, but I don’t think that would bode well for him anyway.
I believe Hill will hang around as a Light Heavyweight, but he will have his work cut out for him if he ever wants to ever make a run back to a championship because his latest loss will undoubtedly take him out of the Top 5.
As for what realistically could be next for him, perhaps a showdown against Aleksandar Rakic is in order. Rakic, like Hill, finds himself in the midst of a three-fight skid and they are very close to one another in the rankings (see here).
The loser will undoubtedly take himself out of the Top 10 with four straight defeats, so it would give each man the motivation and hunger to dig deep and put on a memorable performance to prevent from skidding further down the ladder.
For more UFC Baku results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
