UFC on ABC: Hill vs. Rountree Jr.
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | June 21, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Baku , Azerbaijan |
Area served | International |
| Parent | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
UFC on ABC: Hill vs. Rountree Jr., also identified as UFC on ABC 8, was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 21, 2025, at the Baku Crystal Hall located in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Background
The main event showcased a light heavyweight contest between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jamahal Hill and previous title contender Khalil Rountree Jr..Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name This encounter was originally scheduled for UFC 303 in June 2024 but was called off after Rountree withdrew due to an accidental ingestion of a prohibited substance.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The fight was rescheduled for UFC on ESPN: Machado Garry vs. Prates in April 2025; however, Hill pulled out because of a leg injury.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
The co-headliner presented a flyweight matchup initially arranged between Tagir Ulanbekov and former UFC Flyweight Championship challenger Kyoji Horiguchi, who would have returned to the UFC for the first time since 2016.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Horiguchi later withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was substituted by Azat Maksum.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
A heavyweight bout featuring former interim UFC Heavyweight Championship contender Curtis Blaydes against promotional newcomer Rizvan Kuniev occurred after several postponements. This fight was first planned for UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song, then moved to UFC 313, but was canceled shortly before due to Blaydes suffering from illness.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Subsequently, it was transferred from UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales to this event.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Additional matchups relocated from UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales included a middleweight duel between Park Jun-yong and Ismail Naurdiev, as well as a heavyweight bout with Hamdy Abdelwahab facing Mohammed Usman, the victor of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Peña vs. Team Nunes.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
A lightweight contest involving newcomer Tofiq Musayev and Myktybek Orolbai proceeded at a catchweight of 165 pounds after both athletes failed to make the lightweight limit during weigh-ins—Musayev weighed in at 163 pounds while Orolbai reached 165 pounds.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name This adjustment resulted from Orolbai’s inability to reduce weight during fight week.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Results
Bonus awards
Two competitors were granted $50,000 each, totaling $100,000 in bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Nazim Sadykhov vs. Nikolas Motta
- Performance of the Night: Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta