Uriah Hall’s brutal strength on The Ultimate Fighter in UFC was aptly described by Yahoo Sports as “arguably the most violent televised knockout in combat sports history.” After retiring from the UFC, Uriah Hall tiptoed inside the boxing ring to revive his fighting career. He will be seen fighting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry card this coming Saturday. Despite being new to boxing, he has experience as an MMA fighter and kickboxer. This varied fighting style will undoubtedly benefit him in his next battle.

‘Prime Time’ will be seen in his second professional boxing fight since his debut in 2022 against Le’Veon Bell. Ahead of his fight this weekend, let’s dive deeper into where he is from and how he got into combat sports.

Where is Uriah Hall from? Ethnicity and nationality

Hall was born on July 31st, 1984, in Spanish Town in Jamaica. However, at the age of 13, he moved to Queens, New York. There is not much information about his family, but he has mentioned about his mother several times. He even posted 3 pictures with his mother on Instagram on her birthday and wrote, “She’s not only responsible for me being here but she instilled the drive force of remaining true to myself. Always reminding me that God has a plan even if I can’t see it.”

Furthermore, he called her his “biggest fan” appreciating and showing his love towards her. Speaking of his combat sports journey, Hall first made his MMA debut in 2005. However, he gained notoriety for the first time as a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter in 2013. Remarkably, he arrived for a show with only enough cash to cover a one-way trip to Las Vegas. Fortunately, though, he made it through the UFC show, which helped launch his career. ‘Prime Time’ was a nightmare for the rivals on the program.

He gained immediate limelight after defeating Adam Cella with a spinning hook kick. During his time at the UFC, he has been against top fighters like Anderson Silva and Sean Strickland. Though he became well-known as a fighter during his prime, there’s an interesting history of his early years.

Uriah Hall’s early life: How did he start fighting?

For 13-year-old Uriah Hall, moving from his own country to the United States was already a difficult time. Hall endured severe bullying in addition to having no friends and living in a completely different culture. Children at his school bullied him regularly. One day, a bully began calling Hall “ugly” and harassing him while he was riding the bus home from school. Hall remembers that even though he didn’t reply, “He(the bully) literally beat the living daylights out of me.”

The bully was beating Hall so badly, that another bully had to step in to put an end to the heinous deed. He spent the entire day confined in a room and was extremely terrorized by the event. His mother took him to a therapist as a result, and she ultimately enrolled him in a martial arts training facility. The trauma was so intense, that he was even thinking about suicide. But luckily, martial arts helped him regain his confidence. 

After gaining popularity from The Ultimate Fighter, Hall signed a contract with the UFC. He parted ways with the organization in 2022 with a record of 18-11-0. With just one pro boxing fight experience, he will be squaring off against a former middleweight boxing champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The bout is set to take at the Amalie Arena in Tampa. Do you think ‘Prime Time’ will be able to outclass the Mexican boxer? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.