Former champion Jamahal Hill moves to heavyweight and targets Josh Hokit for debut

Jamahal Hill has announced he is leaving light heavyweight behind and moving up to heavyweight, with Josh Hokit in his sights for a debut bout he hopes to make by late 2026 or early 2027.

“I’m gonna go ahead and say it now: I’m going to heavyweight,” Hill said on his YouTube channel. “That’s the announcement. Breaking news. 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.”

Hill’s move follows Alex Pereira, the man who ended his reign as UFC light heavyweight champion. Pereira made his official heavyweight debut this past weekend at UFC White House, dropping a decision to Ciryl Gane in a contest for the interim heavyweight title. Hill, however, will not be walking straight into a title fight — he is working his way back from a knee injury that has kept him out of action since a decision loss to Khalil Rountree Jr. last June, a defeat that extended his losing streak to three fights.

Despite that run of poor form, Hill is thinking big. He pointed to the appeal of becoming a two-division champion rather than a two-time light heavyweight titleholder. “Wouldn’t it be better if I came back and won the heavyweight title?” he said. “I think double champ is better than two-time champ. I like the way it sounds.”

Hokit emerged as Hill’s preferred first opponent after the heavyweight contender stopped Derrick Lewis on the UFC White House undercard. Hokit used his post-fight platform to lobby for a fight with Pereira, a call-out he has been making for months, but Hill believes that matchup is a non-starter given Pereira’s fresh defeat.

“He’s not going to get Alex,” Hill said. “Alex has no reason to give him that fight. … 100 percent, Josh Hokit is the fight that I want for my UFC heavyweight debut. Why not? Former UFC champion. Come on. … I think what’s next for Josh Hokit is me. I think I’m next. I think we should run it next.”

No date or official booking has been confirmed for Hill’s heavyweight debut, with his return contingent on his recovery from the knee injury.