Jamahal Hill vents frustration after Khalil Rountree gets title shot after failing drug test: “Terrible for the sport”

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill has vented his frustration after Khalil Rountree was given the next title shot at 205lbs.

UFC CEO Dana White announced on Friday that Pereira would be defending his light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 307 in Utah against Rountree. The fight came as a huge surprise, especially due to the fact that Rountree was pulled from his last fight against Hill due to a failed drug test.

After Rountree was given the title shot, Jamahal Hill took to social media and said it was a terrible look for the sport.

Can’t believe what I just saw announced!!! So a guy pulls out of a contender fight because of failed drug test for a banned substances and gets rewarded with a title shot?!! This is terrible for the sport and makes the rankings completely pointless!!!

— Jamahal Hill (@JamahalH) August 16, 2024

“Can’t believe what I just saw announced!!! So a guy pulls out of a contender fight because of failed drug test for a banned substances and gets rewarded with a title shot?!! This is terrible for the sport and makes the rankings completely pointless!!!,” Hill wrote on X.

Hill does make a fair point that Rountree was just suspended for failing a drug test and now gets rewarded with a title shot. But, after Magomed Ankalaev was booked to fight Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, there weren’t many options for Pereira, which is why Rountree is now getting the title shot.

Khalil Rountree is coming off a knockout win over Anthony Smith in December to extend his win streak to five. He was supposed to face Jamahal Hill at UFC 303 in June but after he failed a drug test he was pulled from the bout. On the winning streak, Rountree has wins over Chris Daukaus, Dustin Jacoby, Karl Roberson, and Modestas Bukauskas.

As for Hill, he hasn’t fought since he was knocked out by Pereira for the light heavyweight title at UFC 300. Before that, he beat Glover Teixeira by decision to win the vacant light heavyweight title, but he had to vacate the belt after he tore his Achilles.