Pro-Palestine protestors in New York City attack van carrying UFC fighter Jamahal Hill

A van carrying UFC fighters and staff, including former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill, was attacked by pro-Palestinian protestors in New York City on Friday night.

The incident occurred as the van, containing Hill, his manager Brian Butler, UFC Hall of Famer Robbie Lawler, former bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen, and UFC staff and security, got caught in a large Pro-Palestinian gathering demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

"People were saying, 'Go, step on the gas. Step on the gas'," Butler told MMA Junkie.

"People started trickling over because we were at the very front. I think they were curious because it was a big Sprinter van, so they started coming up and putting their signs and stuff up on the window.

"Then they got a look inside and they could see it was UFC security in there, and they were like, 'Oh, UFC people.' Then they started saying stuff like, you know, just mob mentality stuff. Nothing other than that sheer energy that was going on. It was like, 'UFC people are bitches,' UFC people are this and that.

"Jamahal started seeing red, so it was an issue trying to get him calmed down.

"But it started escalating pretty quickly. It went from zero to having the whole vehicle surrounded and banging on it. The windows started breaking, and then Jamahal said he saw someone pull out a knife and they slashed all our tires. It could have been a very bad situation."

Hill's reaction

Hill documented the chaotic scene on Instagram Live. The mob surrounded the group as they left a nightclub, leading to an unsettling and fast-escalating situation.

"[We're] trying to leave downtown," Hill noted.

"Our bus is being attacked right now by something, some protest or something that's going on. They're throwing, they're breaking our windows, and all this and that... If any of my people down here downtown and you really got me... come get these people up off our bus."