Josh Hill: “Should Be an Exciting Fight” at Bellator 292 vs Cass Bell
Josh Hill tests skills with Cass Bell at Bellator 292 on March 10th.
Hill once again appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to discuss his tumultuous 2022, the backstory of this Bell bout, plus so much more.
Josh Hill
The myriad of issues Hill experienced in 2022 and this new year feeling like a clean slate
“Yeah, I hope so anyway. Last year sucked because I was supposed to fight in April and then got COVID. That sucked but it just lingered for so long and it took me out of my fight. That was a fight to get into the grand prix. Which would have been great obviously. That was something that I wanted and it was in Hawaii. Never been there and that screwed that all up. Then yeah, I was out for a bit. They couldn’t get me a fight again until August and then my opponent pulled out. Then they offered me, my replacement opponent.”
“They said if I didn’t take this fight then I probably wouldn’t be fighting until probably the end of 2022. So we did it anyway and then I had a knee infection leading up to that one (laughs) and then I lost the fight. Lost the decision which sucked. Then I had knee surgery in the Fall of last year. So yeah (laughs), 2023 is, I like that, a clean slate. I want to be active this year. So that’s why I was happy to get on a show the first quarter of the year. Yeah, I want to fight like at least three times. That would be ideal.”
Bellator 292
Hill initially calling out Bell and the backstory between the bantamweights
“Well I actually called for a fight with him when he was 5-0 and we were both in the top ten in the rankings. I wanted to fight another guy in the ranks. I obviously wanted to fight ahead of me but it wasn’t available at the time. He was 5-0, so every fighter wants to be the first guy to beat an undefeated guy. So he was yeah, undefeated 5-0 in the ranks. That’s initially when I called him out. But then I think he ended up fighting (Raufeon) Stots and Stots beat him. Then he fought Jornel Lugo after that and Lugo beat him.”
“Then I didn’t think of anything for the time being and I had my fights. I had fights with Stots and (Jared) Scoggins and then my last one with (Marcos) Breno. Then he just fought at the end of last year and beat Scoggins who I fought. So I was like he’s coming off a win now over a guy I beat as well, so why not? He has less fights than me as far as numbers but you know, it makes sense.”
“He’s from San Jose too or in that area, around there. So it makes sense for us to get on this one; similar in age. Yeah like I said, why not? I think it should be a good matchup and it should be an exciting fight too I think. So yeah, it makes sense and he agreed.”
