Despite the fact Josh Hill is unbeaten as a professional mixed martial artist the Canadian bantamweight has been criticized by some for having a “boring” fighting style.
Well, the Hamilton, Ont., native certainly silenced some doubters after an exciting three-round fight with England’s Michael Wootten on episode seven of The Ultimate Fighter 18.
Watch The Ultimate Fighter 18 every Wednesday on Sportsnet 360 and get weekly episode recaps on sportsnet.ca
Hill, 26, made his MMA debut in 2009 and has compiled a 9-0 pro record on the local circuit in Canada, generating a solid fan base in Ontario from his time spent in the now-defunct Score Fighting Series. The North American Grappling Association champion has a strong ground game and that’s the strategy he tried to implement against Wootten, another unbeaten prospect fighting out of Liverpool.
Wootteen, 24, compiled a 7-0 record fighting in his home country before trying out for TUF 18 and is considered one of the best young MMA prospects in the United Kingdom.
THE FIGHT
Hill started out strong by closing the distance and attacking with his wrestling. He got Wootten to the ground early and begin working to advance his position. Eventually he moved into back control along the cage near his corner and attempted a rear-naked choke. It looked tight for a moment, but Wootten remained composed and escaped. Hill took the round easily, though.
Wootten got back all the momentum he lost in the first round about five seconds into the second stanza when he landed a huge right knee to Hill’s chin. Hill was rocked and looked to take his opponent down again, but Wootten was the one able to secure a double-leg. Midway through the round, after some ground-and-pound from Wootten, Hill locked in a guillotine choke that the Brit was able to defend. Although Hill finished the round in top position Wootten won the round to even things up.
In the final frame, it was an even battle of position and damage until Hill attempted a spinning backfist that missed with less than two minutes remaining. The move was very reminiscent to the move Chael Sonnen attempted on Anderson Silva at UFC 148 that ultimately led to his demise. Wootten ducked under the attempted strike, secured a takedown and remained on top for the remainder of the fight, which was enough to win him a unanimous decision.
“I’ve never lost a fight in my life, so this is new to me; it’s tough,” an emotional Hill said afterward. “I usually don’t get emotional, I just put a lot into this, so I look like a (expletive) right now and it sucks, but I’ll be back.”
Despite it being a competitive fight, UFC president Dana White was critical of Hill’s performance.
“I can’t stand when someone comes in here and they’re one dimensional,” White said.
Bouts on TUF are technically amateur bouts so Hill is still unbeaten as a pro, but he will look to learn from the loss.
“I know my skill set is definitely there, I’ve just got to show everybody that I can’t hold anything back,” Hill told sportsnet.ca prior to the show airing. “I have to show them my full skill set. My major dilemma now is I have to be more confident in my skill set and believe in myself.”
Wootten joins his close friend and teammate Davey Grant and Chris Holdsworth in the semi-finals.
“It was nice to be able to turn it around and do myself and the team proud … and more importantly advancing into the semi-finals. There’s no better felling,” Wootten said.
OUTSIDE THE OCTAGON
Rousey flips Tate the bird… again
In what is becoming somewhat of a tradition on TUF 18, Ronda Rousey wanted no part in a post-fight handshake with Miesha Tate and flipped her off. Earlier in the episode, Tate and her assistant coaches posted pictures that poked fun at Rousey’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan around the TUF Gym.
“I’m not going to play the fake bitch game. I don’t know the rules of that game. I don’t do it. Every single day that they smile in my face and shake my hand and insult me behind my back it just shows me the kind of people that they really are,” Rousey said.
The prez praises Pennington
Outside of the TUF Gym, Dana White took last week’s winner Raquel Pennington aside to compliment her performance and even gave her some encouraging words.
“I’m not your coach and I’m not your trainer, but if you let your hands go more — you got a good chin, you took big shots to the body — you throw your (expletive) hands more, you will beat anybody here,” White said.
Fighters feel homesick
Several of the fighters began feeling quite homesick, especially those that have children. Team Tate’s Cody Bollinger broke down in tears and talked about how he missed his wife and daughter.
Rousey stopped by the TUF House on Father’s Day to hand out gifts to all the dads. Bollinger, Davey Grant and Chris Beal were all grateful for the gesture.
Fight selection
The final two preliminary fights were announced. Sportsnet.ca TUF blogger Sarah Moras of Team Tate will take on Team Rousey’s Peggy Morgan on the women’s side, while Team’s Tate’s Cody Bollinger faces Team Rousey’s Anthony Gutierrez on the men’s side.
On the next episode
Rousey, Tate, White and the fighters discuss some of the high and low points of the season thus far. Then, two weeks from now, fans can get to watch two fights as Moras faces Morgan and Bollinger meets Gutierrez.
