In the main event of UFC Vegas 59, Jamahal Hill took on Thiago Santos in a pivotal light heavyweight scrap.
Hill entered the fight coming off his first UFC main event where he knocked out Johnny Walker. Santos, meanwhile, suffered a decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev last time out.
In the end, it was Hill getting his hand raised by fourth-round TKO in a back-and-forth fight that Hill says he was not happy with. Now, after UFC Vegas 59 here is what I think should be next for both Hill and Santos.
Jamahal Hill
Jamahal Hill picked up the biggest win of his career as he scored a fourth-round TKO over Thiago Santos on Saturday. He became the first person to stop Santos with strikes since the Brazilian moved up to 205lbs, so with that he called for a title shot against Jiri Prochazka.
Although Hill wants a title shot, it doesn’t seem likely he will get one as Glover Teixeira, Magomed Ankalaev, and Jan Blachowicz are all ahead of him in the pecking order. If Teixeira gets the rematch, a fight between Blachowicz and Hill makes sense but if Blachowicz gets the shot, a scrap against Teixeira is the way to go.
Thiago Santos
Thiago Santos has struggled as of late but he did look good on Saturday night and was winning the fight on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
Santos is now just 1-5 in his last six but still remains a big name in the division and will likely remain getting main event fights or big fights. A logical next fight is to face Dominick Reyes as both men have struggled since losing to Jon Jones and both are looking to return to the win column and get back on track.
The fight can serve as a Fight Night main event or be on the main card of a pay-per-view. But, Santos vs. Reyes would be a fun fight and one that makes sense for both of them.
What do you think should be next for Jamahal Hill and Thiago Santos after UFC Vegas 59?