Gilbert Durinho reveals Jamahal Hill's strategy to provoke Alex Poatan: 'It was all calculated'

G. Durinho stands out in the UFC welterweight division. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

The rivalry between Jamahal hill e Alex Poatán continues to stir up the UFC behind the scenes, and now, a new revelation of Gilbert Durinho adds even more fuel to the 'flame' of the fight. During his presence at the UFC 310, held last Saturday (7), the Niteroi native shared a conversation with the North American and gave details about the provocations to the current light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg).

According to Durinho, Hill was not naive in his actions and, contrary to what many thought, he would have provoked Poatan strategically, calculating the impact that his attitude would have in the future.

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“I was in the weight cut Vincent Luque (before the UFC 310) and suddenly the Jamahal hill, big, shirtless and with the shape of someone who just left a party. Then I poked him: 'Hey, man! What about that commotion there? It got you excited, huh?'. That's when he explained to me what happened”, said Durinho.

The Brazilian narrated Hill's response with a curious analogy. According to him, to keep the rivalry alive, the fighter needed to 'stir the pot' to prevent the 'food from spoiling'.

“He told me that the food was almost petrifying, and if he didn’t do anything, the rivalry would cool down. So, it was a marketing ploy. Hill confessed that his intention was to create a buzz, a confusion, because, at the end of the day, what matters is talking about him. He said he didn’t care if they spoke well or badly, because the objective was to keep his name on people’s lips,” Durinho added.

What happened between Alex Poatan and Jamahal Hill?

The confusion, which recently occurred at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, generated a lot of repercussions. Alex Poatán even threw gloves toward Jamahal hill during a training session, challenging him to a sparring session.

The verbal confrontation, which culminated in the challenger Jamahal hill throwing taunts at the current UFC light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg) appears to have been a tactic to keep the spotlight on him, as Hill and Poatan faced off in April of this year in a UFC 300. On that occasion, the Brazilian gave no chance and his rival was devastating in the first round.

In his next fight, scheduled for UFC 311, the North American faces Jiri Prochazka, and, if he wins, he should guarantee a new opportunity to compete for the category title.