What’s next for Khalil Rountree and Jamahal Hill after UFC Baku?

The UFC was in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday for a solid UFC Baku Fight Night card. The main event saw former light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill take on Khalil Rountree.

Entering the fight, Hill was coming off back-to-back losses while Rountree was coming off a stoppage loss to Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title.

Ultimately, it was Rountree who dominated Hill for five rounds to cruise to a lopsided decision win. Following UFC Baku, here is what I think should be next for the light heavyweight contenders.

Khalil Rountree

Khalil Rountree returned to the win column in a big way as he dominated Jamahal Hill on the feet for five rounds. He was the faster and more powerful striker, as he even dropped Hill once.

With the win, Rountree should be ranked in the top five and will likely be a win or two away from a title shot. With Pereira likely getting a rematch, it leaves Rountree, Jiri Prochazka, and Carlos Ulberg on the outside looking in. A logical next fight for Rountree is to take on Jan Blachowicz, who’s coming off a very close decision loss to Ulberg and is ranked fifth. If Rountree wins that, he could very well get a title shot.

Jamahal Hill

Jamahal Hill has now lost three straight fights after his serious injury, which forced him to vacate the belt.

Hill is now in a weird spot in the division as he’s still a top-10, if not top-five, fighter. But, he needs to fight someone well below him in the rankings. Hill hasn’t looked like himself since the injury, as he didn’t throw many strikes and doesn’t have great movement anymore.

The former champ should take some time off and really make sure he’s ready for his next fight after UFC Baku. When he does return, a logical next fight for Hill is to take on Volkan Ozedemir. It should be a fun striking fight and a step down in the rankings.