Given the opportunity to step into a main event slot on short notice, Jamahal Hill made the most of his time in the spotlight. “Sweet Dreams” brutally knocked out Johnny Walker in the first round at UFC Fight Night from Las Vegas. Against a dangerous opponent, Hill showed no fear in fighting on his front foot before landing the fight-ending overhand right less than three minutes into the light heavyweight clash.
The bout between Walker and Hill was promoted to the main event on Feb. 11 after Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev was pushed to UFC 272.
Walker threw plenty of his own dangerous strikes, including firing heavy head kicks that Hill blocked off with his arms. The impact of Walker’s kicks left Hill with heavy swelling on his right forearm.
The swelling didn’t have any impact on Hill’s power, as the punch that ended the fight came from that same right side.
As Walker moved in to throw a jab, Hill unloaded with an overhand right that landed to the temple. Walker went stiff and his hands shot into the air in a failed attempt to regain his balance. After Walker crashed into the cage, Hill followed with another brutal right that fully shut off Walker’s lights and ended the fight at the 2:55 mark of the first round.
The win was Hill’s second in a row since suffering a dislocated elbow before being stopped on strikes against Paul Craig in June 2021. He is now 4-1 in the UFC since winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.
“I’m feeling great,” Hill said after his win. “I just wanted to come out here and show myself again and show what I can do. It’s time to have a different conversation because y’all are asking the wrong questions.”
Pressed on what the right questions to ask are, Hill was direct.
“Where’s he going next? How good am I for real? Stop doubting. Start believing because it’s real.”
Walker’s career takes another hit with the loss. After starting his Octagon career with three lightning-quick first-round knockouts, Walker has gone on a 1-4 skid and has lost two in a row.
