UFC News: Conor McGregor Undercard Fight Revived as Jamahal Hill Finally Gets His Next Rival for UFC 303

Jamahal Hill has a new opponent. The former light heavyweight champion is coming off a tough loss to Alex Pereira in the first round of their UFC 300 main event title bout last month. ‘Sweet Dreams’, who felt hard done by the outcome of the fight, has maintained that he wasn’t knocked out and alleged foul play on ‘Poatan’s part.

The former 205-pound champion was hoping to make a quick turnaround and get back to winning ways with a UFC 303 co-main event bout on June 29 against Khalil Rountree Jr., to be headlined by Conor McGregor‘s comeback bout against Michael Chandler. However, ‘The War Horse’ recently revealed that he had accidentally ingested a tainted supplement and thus had to pull out from their contest.

According to reports, the Chicago native will face #11 ranked Carlos ‘Black Jag’ Ulberg instead of Rountree at the UFC 303 co-main event. Since ‘Black Jag’, like Hill, has a striking first style of fighting, and has scored seven of his eleven victories via knockouts, fireworks are expected in their bout with someone probably getting knocked out.

Many fans and analysts have been concerned about ‘Sweet Dreams’ coming back into the octagon so soon. With just over two months of recovery time from his TKO loss (only the second loss in his pro career) to Pereira, there are real concerns about whether the former champion will have fully recovered from the concussive punch ‘Poatan’ caught him with. However, Hill is confident and undeterred and is determined to put on a dominant performance to make fans forget his UFC 300 fiasco. And as he prepares to take on the dynamic and dangerous Ulberg, Rountree has received his official verdict from the UFC’s anti-doping body.

Khalil Rountree Jr. handed a two-month suspension

In a press release, the UFC announced that Khalil Rountree Jr. has been handed a two-month suspension. The reason for this lenient sentencing, of course, is a result of ‘The War Horse’s exemplary conduct during the whole ordeal, reporting himself to the authorities and cooperating with them every step, as they investigated the case to determine whether he did indeed ingest the drugs unknowingly, as he has claimed.

While the 34-year-old will be able to fight starting on July 4 (the date his suspension ends): one week after UFC 302, he will miss out on a fight with Hill, a victory that would have firmly planted him towards the top of the title picture. But, given the special circumstances of his case, the UFC may probably give him another top contender as an opponent, so that he can resume his UFC career where he left it: nearing a title shot.

What are your thoughts on Jamahal Hill’s new UFC 303 opponent? Let us know in the comments.