Jamahal Hill’s light heavyweight tenure was highlighted by a title victory over Glover Teixeira. | Getty/UFC
Jamahal Hill is leaving the light heavyweight division.
The former UFC champ announced plans to move to heavyweight on his YouTube channel. The 35-year-old known as “Sweet Dreams” hasn’t competed since June 2025, when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Khalil Rountree in the UFC on ABC 8 main event. Hill has been sidelined by a knee injury since then.
“I’m going to go ahead and say it now: I’m going to heavyweight,” Hill said. “That’s the announcement, breaking news. So, I’m officially going to say it: I’m going to heavyweight. It’s been something I’ve been working on now for a few months, putting on the necessary weight and putting on the muscle and everything like that to move up.
“Yeah, wouldn’t it be better if I came back and went and won the heavyweight title? I think that means more than winning the light heavyweight title again. They both mean a lot. I think double champ is better than two-time champ, though. I like the way it sounds.”
Hill captured the vacant light heavyweight crown with a five-round verdict over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January 2023. He had to relinquish the belt after rupturing his Achilles tendon in a pickup basketball game. Hill returned for a title shot at UFC 300, where fell to then champion Alex Pereira via first-round KO. That was part of a three-bout skid that also included setbacks to Jiri Prochazka and Rountree.
The Dana White’s Contender Series alum has targeted fast rising heavyweight Josh Hokit, who stopped Derrick Lewis on the UFC White House card, as a potential opponent in his new weight class. Hill hopes to return by the end of 2026 if possible.
“I don’t want to give a for-sure timeline,” Hill said. “I would really like to fight on the MSG card. … If not, maybe headline one of the cards toward the end of the year or something like that. That’s the plan, to come back in 2026 at the latest. If we can’t figure nothing out with that, beginning of the year, first quarter, right at the beginning for sure.”
