Josh Hill is convinced his veteran experience will overwhelm Marcos Breno.
Hill (21-4) was originally slated to square off with Matheus Mattos on Friday at Bellator 284, but the Brazilian competitor withdrew from the matchup. Breno (14-2) stepped in as the replacement in the bantamweight division.
"I'm not super familiar with him, but I've caught a few of his bouts. He strikes aggressively and seems to be one of those rising talents, plus he brings solid grappling," Hill told MMA Empire. "He reminds me a lot of my original opponent."
"He's sitting at 14-2 with a strong debut victory in Bellator, and I'm expecting him to come out firing and try to make a bold statement."
Hill is confident that Breno hasn't faced anyone with his level of skill or fight IQ. He's prepared to outthink his opponent and secure the victory.
"My most recent opponent, Scoggins, also hadn't been knocked out before; anyone can fall in combat," Hill noted. "He's talented, but he hasn't crossed paths with someone like me."
"His last defeat came against Lapilus, an elite fighter. I split a tough decision against him—I believed I had won—and he went on to lose a unanimous three-round decision later. He's certainly a high-level competitor, but he hasn't beaten anyone at my caliber. I don't believe he's faced someone with my experience, explosiveness, and sharp fight IQ."
A victory over Breno on Friday would set Hill up for another fight this year, with names like Juan Archuleta and Kyoji Horiguchi mentioned as potential next opponents.
As the grand prix continues, Hill expressed hope of facing someone who was previously eliminated—proof that he deserved to be in the tournament and remains a genuine title contender.
"These rankings don't mean much to me. I've spoken with the matchmaker directly, and they told me not to stress about them. If I land a convincing win, they'll have to put me against someone in that top tier," Hill stated.
"The semifinals arrive this fall, and the championship match likely lands in the first quarter of next year. Whoever takes the tournament will then face Pettis in the summer, which adds some time to the schedule. But a win now positions me in that top five to fight someone outside the grand prix, and one more triumph puts me in that top contender slot."
