So far things haven’t worked out quite how bantamweight Josh Hill was hoping they would.
Following a win in his most recent fight last December at Bellator 272 over Jared Scoggins, Hill has been on the sidelines waiting to return to action as multiple opponents have dropped out of fights he had scheduled.
“2022 has been frustrating,” Hill told MMAWeekly.com. “ “I got the ball rolling and wanted to be more active, but the way it’s kind of turned out, it’s been bad timing. Things have fallen through.
“For this (upcoming) fight the opponent change wasn’t a big deal, but I want to get in there, I want to get active, I don’t want to sit on the sidelines for a whole year.”
Though he hasn’t had a fight all year, Hill does feel like he can see the improvements he’s made in his game through his training, so he doesn’t have to have had a fight to gauge where his game is at now.
“I see it,” said Hill. “I feel like I’ve never stopped evolving. I feel like when you stop (evolving) you’re done. This sport moves so fast and you fall behind quick. I’ve seen guys do that, and I don’t want to do that.
“I continue to train, continue to learn, and I that thing in me where I can’t just settle or sit in the background. Training and sparring is my favorite day of the week. I can see my improvements and I really love that.”
This Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Hill (21-4) will look to pick his sixth win in his last seven fights when he faces Marcos Breno (14-2) in a preliminary 135-pound bout at Bellator 284.
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“He’s a tough dude with a good record and is a young, up and coming hungry guy,” Hill said of Breno. “I think he’s going to be aggressive. I think he’s going to come out of the gate hard and try to make a statement and try to use me as a way to get noticed. I’m prepared for that.
“I think stylistically I see myself being the more well-rounded guy. I see myself being able to put things together better and I see myself being the smarter fighter in there. Everywhere we go I just see myself being able to nullify what he’s doing.”
Having missed out on over half of 2022, Hill is looking to close out his year in a big way.
“I’d like to have this fight and then fight again in November or December,” said Hill. “I want to have two fights this year and go 2-0. That is what would make it successful and be great for me.
“It would help get me to the top of the heap and get in line for a title opportunity. That’s what I’m looking to do. I don’t want to sit around. I want to stay active.”
