Preview: DWCS Season 3, Episode 5

Jamahal Hill vs. Alexander Poppeck

After going 11-0 as an amateur and 5-0 as a professional, Hill gets his chance to leap to the big leagues if he can impress with a win. The 28-year-old is the KO Promotions light heavyweight champion but has not faced the stiffest competition so far in his career. Only one fighter Hill has faced as pro career had a winning record at the time of their fight. “Sweet Dreams” is a long and lengthy southpaw who is a poised striker. He has great accuracy on his strikes, working behind a stiff jab. He does well at staying loose with his punches and throwing straight shots down the pipe. His check right hook is his most dangerous strike and packs some nice power. The undefeated fighter has a lot of defensive flaws. He tends to carry his hands low and keep his head straight on the centerline. He has been rocked in the past because he tries to avoid punches by just pulling his head straight back. The Michigan resident likes to keep his distance by throwing hard kicks to the body and suddenly sneaking one up to check his opponent’s chin. When opponents attempt to slide into the pocket, Hill often grabs the Thai clinch and attacks them with knees and elbows. Hill will occasionally attempt a takedown but does not set them up well, often finding himself sprawled on. If he is on the bottom -- which happens often due to his weak takedown defense -- Hill excels at scrambling to his feet or using his long legs to attack with triangle attempts. Hill has five-round fight experience, which shows he can fight hard over the duration of the contest.

Poppeck enters the cage flaunting an 9-2 record but without a lot of momentum. His last two contests resulted in a submission loss and a split decision win. The 27-year-old is also a long and lengthy striker with professional kickboxing experience. The German fighter throws his straight right hand with sniper-like accuracy. While he dispatches it without any telegraphed signs, the issue is that he tends to only look for that punch at times. He often makes the mistake of admiring his work by dropping his hands after striking, leaving him open to counters. The Titan Fighting Championship veteran can also make the mistake of overthrowing his punches, leaving him out of position to block returning fire. Poppeck will look for trips and shots from a distance but is not the strongest wrestler. He gets most of his takedowns by trying to catch his opponents’ kicks. If he gets on top, he uses great top pressure and has some devastating ground-and-pound. If he ends up on bottom, he does well at scrambling back to his feet. The biggest flaw in Poppeck’s game might be his gas tank. He looked quite tired and sloppy in his last two bouts. When that happens, his strikes became erratic and lose a lot of pop.

This is a difficult fight to predict, as both men need more time to polish their skills and do not appear to be ready for the bright lights of the UFC. Hill is going to have to be aware of Poppeck’s straight right, which should be there for him: Hill is southpaw, leaving the orthodox fighter with a huge target. However, Poppeck’s limited gas tank remains a concern. The fight figures to be competitive early, with Hill pulling ahead once the German fighter begins to slow down. Hill wins by unanimous decision but fails to land a UFC deal.

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