UFC 300: Joe Rogan Raises Concern on Jamahal Hill’s Injury and Premature Return Against Alex Pereira – “Got to Be a Lot of Pressure”

Jamahal Hill will be returning to claim the belt he never lost inside the Octagon against Alex Pereira at UFC 300. Hill won the UFC light heavyweight title by defeating Pereira’s mentor and friend, Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January 2023. However, he was forced to vacate the title after suffering an injury to his Achilles tendon. In a statement released on his YouTube channel, he stated, “I ruptured my Achilles (UFC 290) fight week playing basketball… A ruptured Achilles can happen in a number of ways, and it just happened to happen this way.”

As such, his return at UFC 300 has raised some concerns from Joe Rogan, UFC color commentator and host of the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience Podcast), who revealed that the timeline for Hill’s return after such a devastating injury may be a deciding factor for him against the dangerous, ‘Poatan’!

Joe Rogan concerned that Jamahal Hill may not be at “100%” at UFC 300

During the JRE MMA Show no. 154 with guests Matt Serra, Din Thomas and John Rallo, Joe Rogan brought up the topic of Alex Pereira vs Jamahal Hill. He stated, “I’m so interested in Jamahal Hill and Pereira, I’m so interested in that fight, I am so interested in that fight.”

When Thomas inquired if Rogan believes that Hill’s Achilles is now “straight”, the podcast host responded by confessing, “Dude, I don’t know, I mean I would assume it is otherwise he wouldn’t be jumping back in. I know it was more than eight months.”

This led to a question by Rallo inquiring if that’s the approved timeline by experts for a return from such an injury and Rogan then had to ask Jamie to find out when Hill was injured. At this point, Din Thomas made a stunning reveal as he stated, “I was there at the game he was playing too, they was all playing a basketball game, he could hoop though, Jamahal Hill could play…”

When he finally received the information he had requested on the studio screen, Rogan stated, “So this was in July, so August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March, I’d like to, I need to have a little more.”

As the conversation went on, Thomas pointed out that Hill’s speed would be a key factor in the matchup against ‘Pereira’ but it all hinges on the condition of his Achilles. And Rogan agreed with the sentiment as he stated, “Yeah, well, god damn it would suck if he came in at 70% … coz the thing is there’s got to be a lot of pressure to be UFC 300, you know. And you might be like, ‘I can do it, I can do it’… I don’t know, I’m hoping it’s 100% .”

Read More: UFC 300: Jamahal Hill Reminds Alex Pereira of ‘Teacher’ Glover Teixeira’s Brutal Fate – ‘It’s His Turn’

With doubts lingering about Hill’s physical preparedness, there’s a palpable sense of hope tempered with apprehension among fans and pundits alike. And it’s not just Joe Rogan who has raised concerns about Jamahal Hill as a UFC champion’s coach also provided his perspective on the situation recently! 

Sean O’Malley’s coach highlights the consequences of an Achilles tendon injury

UFC bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley’s coach and friend, Tim Welch, recently spoke on his YouTube channel about the dangers Jamhal Hill could face inside the Octagon at UFC 300. Drawing on his own experiences with an Achilles tendon injury, he stated, “Jamahal Hill, he tore his Achilles clean off just like I did last July which is 9 months ago. My surgeon told me I’m not going to be close to 100% until 12 months, he’s at 9 months…”

He also emphasized Pereira’s potential use of calf kicks, posing a threat to Hill’s Achilles tendon, and raised concerns about ‘Sweet Dreams’ striking being compromised due to the timeline for his return from his injury.

Welch stated, “…my surgeon clearly said, ‘This is what you have to be careful about’. My physical therapist said, you cannot drive off the ball of your foot really hard or you’ll blow that thing again.” In conclusion, as UFC 300 draws near, all eyes will be on Hill as he seeks to reclaim the title he never lost, navigating the challenges posed by his injury and the formidable opponent ahead!

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