Jamahal Hill appears to think that this year’s Fighter of the Year isn’t up for debate. Whilst several fighters have had remarkable years, such as Alex Pereira and Leon Edwards, ‘Sweet Dreams’ believes that Alexander Volkanovski is undoubtedly the best fighter of 2022.
‘The Great’ showcased his superiority over the featherweight division this year, with two immaculate performances. Volkanovski faced ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273 and was leagues above the MMA legend that night. The champion then faced Max Holloway for a third time at UFC 276 and put on a striking masterclass that would be near impossible to replicate.
The World MMA Awards have just taken place and several MMA media outlets also shared their picks for various end-of-year awards. Jamahal Hill recently took to Twitter to declare that anyone who hasn’t picked Volkanovski as their Fighter of the Year is missing a trick:
“The fighter of the year is hands down @alexvolkanovski how is this even a question?”
See the tweet below:
Alexander Volkanovski will be attempting to attain double-champ status in February 2023, when he faces off against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284. ‘The Great’ will put his No.1 UFC pound-for-pound ranking on the line, while Makhachev will put his 155lbs belt up for grabs.
The newly minted UFC lightweight champion is heading into the bout as the favorite, but it would be a mistake to take Volkanovski lightly.
Jamahal Hill shares his prediction for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Islam Makhachev
Jamahal Hill appears to be a massive admirer of Alexander Volkanovski and holds the Australian’s skillset in the highest regard.
‘Sweet Dreams’ recently claimed Volkanovski is without doubt the 2022 Fighter of the Year. Hill also appears to be backing ‘The Great’ against current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, something not many people are doing.
Makhachev will be making the first title defense of his career. He will hope to continue the reign of Dagestani dominance in the UFC’s lightweight division, after the retirement of his close friend and training partner Khabib Nurmagomedov.
However, Jamahal Hill has predicted Volkanovski to defeat the current lightweight champion. ‘Sweet Dreams’ recently spoke to MMA journalist James Lynch and said the following:
“I like Volk, I said it back in International Fight Week when he beat Max Holloway. That was an eye-opener, that was it for me. To me he is the P4P best. I gotta go with that. He’s fast, I don’t think Islam’s fought anyone that fast. He’s smaller, and smaller dudes can be harder to grapple… Yeah I think Volk.”
Watch the video below from 1:35: