\u201cI\u2019m gonna go ahead and say it now: I\u2019m going to Heavyweight,\u201d Hill announced on his podcast. \u201cThat\u2019s the announcement. Breaking news. So, I\u2019m officially going to say it. I\u2019m going to Heavyweight. It\u2019s been something I\u2019ve been working on now for a few months, putting on the necessary weight and putting on the muscle and everything like that to move up. Yeah, wouldn\u2019t it be better if I came back and won the Heavyweight title? I think double champ is better than two-time champ. I like the way it sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
And as for his first opponent in his new weight class, Hill already has a name in mind: red-hot Heavyweight prospect-turned contender Josh Hokit.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as Hokit goes, that\u2019s what I want. That\u2019s exactly the fight I want,\u201d Hill said. \u201cI didn\u2019t even really know about him before he fought Curtis Blaydes \u2014 shoutout to him for making a name for himself. I have no problems with the antics at all. But yeah, 100 percent, Josh Hokit is a fight I want as my Heavyweight debut. Why not? Former UFC champion, come on. Come get some.\u201d<\/p>\n
But anything is possible, especially if UFC likes the name value.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to give a for-sure timeline,\u201d Hill said. \u201cI would really like to fight on the MSG card. If not, maybe headlining one of the cards towards the end of the year or something like that. That\u2019s the plan to come back in 2026. If they can\u2019t figure anything out with that, beginning of the year, first quarter, right at the beginning for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The former champion is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, with losses to Rountree, Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira in the UFC 300 main event.<\/p>\n
So, yeah, a fresh start at Heavyweight might not be the worst idea.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth noting that Johnny Walker<\/a>, Aleksandar Rakic, and, of course, Pereira have all left the Light Heavyweight division.<\/p>\n