Ben Askren believes Jamahal Hill’s “ego” played a part in his knockout loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 300

Ben Askren believes that Jamahal Hill’s ego may have played a role in his knockout defeat to Alex Pereira.

Last weekend, Jamahal Hill fell to a resounding defeat at the hands of Alex Pereira. In the first round of their UFC 300 main event, Pereira knocked Hill out in what was a nasty finish.

It was Hill’s first fight back from injury and many didn’t believe he looked too great in there. Alas, while he may have suffered a setback, you can bet he’s still hungry to get back to the championship level at light heavyweight.

RELATED: Jamahal Hill issues statement after KO loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 300

Some have criticized Jamahal in the aftermath of the contest, especially for his approach to the fight. That includes Ben Askren, who had the following to say in a recent podcast.

Askren’s Hill theory

“My general feeling on that fight, I thought Jamahal Hill was a little too confident, saying he could stand with him,” Askren said. “I feel like he disregarded how hard Pereira hits.

“I feel, honestly — hopefully your buddy (Hill) doesn’t get too mad at you for this — my feeling? Ego. Ego gets involved in fighters,” Askren continued. “He thought, ‘Everyone is saying Pereira is the better standup fighter, he’s gonna put you down.’ And he said, ‘No! No, it’s not gonna happen!’ We talked about when he caught the arrow and broke it… that’s ego speaking. I did think that maybe put him in harm’s way.”

Quotes via MMA News

Either way, Hill needs to go back to the drawing board as he prepares to try and make another push for the strap.

Do you agree with Ben Askren? What changes does Jamahal Hill need to make if he wants to get back to the top? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!