Jamahal Hill says UFC 300 headliner offer came a day before announcement: 'It's what they really wanted'

Jamahal Hill only knew about headlining UFC 300 a day before it was made public.

Dana White announced Saturday that Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will challenge light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The UFC has been scrambling hard to find a main event for UFC 300, and according to Hill, he received a last-minute offer that he accepted.

“Everybody wants to be on UFC 300, but realistically it didn’t really come on my radar and didn’t really happen until like yesterday,” Hill told Sportsnet. “I’m not even going to lie – like, yesterday, when he called me, and he let me know the situation.

“Basically the situation was they needed a main event. They had some things lined up but they would have preferred it be me and Alex. It was the first option, it’s what they really wanted. The people definitely wanted it, that’s what people have been asking me for months now, all week. Yeah, it made sense.”

Hill will return after opting to vacate his belt due to a ruptured achilles tendon. Pereira knocked out Jiri Prochazka to claim the vacant belt at UFC 295, and Hill is excited for the opportunity to get his belt back.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Hill said. “The challenge of Alex has become huge. He’s done incredible things – two-division champion in the UFC in seven fights, quickest to ever do it. So I just want to get in there and see how I match up against him.”

Despite the short-notice nature of the call, Hill is honored to headline such a historic show.

“It means a lot, just even being considered for it and them asking me to do it is huge,” Hill said. “It’s putting a lot of trust in my abilities and how I’m able to show up to put me at the helm of a card like that, and I appreciate that.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.