Athletes
Khalil Rountree Jr. Is On A New Level
Khalil Rountree's Last Fight Saw Him Challenge For The Undisputed Title And, Despite Tasting Defeat That Night, He Now Knows He Belongs Among The Light Heavyweight Elite
They say you learn more from your losses than defeats in sport, and if that adage holds true, Khalil Rountree Jr. is much more knowledgeable as a result of his last Octagon outing.
Rountree challenged then-champion Alex Pereira for the undisputed light heavyweight title at UFC 307. Pereira was at the height of his dominance at the top of the division, and few gave Rountree a chance.
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But the Las Vegas native backed himself, bit down on his mouthpiece and engaged in a thrilling title fight scrap with “Poatan” that earned him much more than $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus he received at the end of the night. It also earned him respect, and gave him the knowledge that he has what it takes to hang with the very best in the world at 205 pounds.
"Coming away from that fight, I gained a lot of experience," said Rountree.
"There was a lot of personal growth in that fight, I think, for one, fighting for a title, in a main event, against a guy like Alex. For me, I felt like I belonged. When the lights were off and we're just standing in the cage, I just remember feeling like I belong here. It wasn't a foreign feeling to me, it felt just right.
"And then I was very happy throughout the whole fight, even in the toughest times. I remember just being really grateful to be there and soaking it all in. And so, although I didn't get the result that I was aiming for, I definitely walked away with a really cool experience. And now I know what it's like to fight the best of the best for a championship. So it was an eye opener, and it only motivated me to just want to keep climbing and do better."
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Rountree's early UFC career was plagued with inconsistency as he struggled to string a consistent run of results together. But since the pandemic, he hit top form as he strung together five successive wins – four by knockout – to put himself in the light heavyweight top 10 and earn him a shot at Pereira.
The fight ended in a fourth-round stoppage defeat, but Rountree explained that getting to that level and trading leather with Pereira proved to him that not only can he compete with the best in the world, he also still has more improving to do in order to bridge the gap from contender status to champion.
"Moving forward, I think I'll be a lot better," he explained.
"I was as ready as I could be for that fight. But after, I realized, OK, there's still a lot of room to grow, and I'm not done growing. I haven't reached my peak yet. And that was motivating.
"It was motivating to know that, OK, there's still work to do. And I think with that, having more work to do is just gonna make me better. And I'm focused on being the best that I can be, correct mistakes and just be an overall well-rounded mixed martial artist. People know me as a striker, but I'd like to kind of even out that description and start to round out all of my skills and be complete by the end of this."
That work is already underway. Rountree has enlisted the help of 15-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Marcus Buchecha to tighten up his ground game, while former Muay Thai world champion and renowned striking coach Christian Knowles has joined the team to sharpen his striking arsenal.
But the man who pulls everything together is Rountree's head coach at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas, John Wood. He's been a constant presence in Rountree's inner circle, and remains a pivotal, influential figure in his career.
"I've been with John for over 10 years now, and I’m super grateful for him," he explained.
"He encouraged me to get back into MMA very early on in my career, when I was kind of distracted and wanting to work and make money the safe way. And he's like, 'No man, you have a future in this. Just stick with me and we can get the job done.'
"And he's held true. He's always there for me, every fight. He's an amazing coach. He runs a great gym, a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge and the friendship there is unbreakable. So it's nice to have him on this journey with me. I can't wait to finally become a champion and see John right next to me, you know? Because he's one of those guys that's been there since the start."
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Rountree returns to action against former champion Jamahal Hill this weekend as the pair do battle in the main event in Baku. It's the first UFC event held in Azerbaijan, and Rountree is relishing the opportunity to travel and enjoy the experience of competing in a new country.
"First and foremost, Baku is amazing," he said.
"This place is beautiful. The people have been very welcoming, very excited to have UFC here for the first time. I've seen many things from Old Town, Nizami Street, so I've been all around. Very excited to be here. It's unbelievable.
"I was really surprised at the fan reaction – they are the most fired-up fans I've ever seen. So to be able to headline in a place like this, every day I'm just excited. It's a really cool thing."
As for the fight itself, it's a bout that offers Rountree the chance to cement his status as one of the top contenders at 205 pounds as he prepares to face another fighter who previously held championship gold.
"I think a win over Jamahal would definitely place me in the talks of being a legitimate title contender," he stated.
"He's a former champion. He's beat some good guys and, yeah, that's, that's just kind of my focus.
"After the Alex fight, I want to continue to fight contenders, and whoever it is that's going to help me get back to the belt. And so, yeah, I think a win over Jamahal on Saturday would put me in the right place.
"I don't necessarily look past Jamahal – he's done some good things, and the both of us have pretty exciting styles, so I see it being a really cool matchup, definitely something that the fans are going to appreciate.
"But I have high belief in myself, and I know the work that I've put in to be prepared for an opponent like Jamahal. So I think that I've got everything it takes to win this fight in in a way that makes it undeniable for me to be close to fighting for that title again."
UFC Fight Night: Hill vs Rountree Jr. took place live from Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 21, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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