Athletes
The Stage Is Set For Khalil Rountree Jr.
Khalil Rountree Jr. Challenges UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira In The Main Event At UFC 307 In Salt Lake City, Utah On October 5, 2024
On October 5, No. 8 ranked UFC light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree Jr. faces the biggest challenge of his professional mixed martial arts career, a main event title clash against 205-pound champion and UFC superstar Alex Pereira.
The news was surprising for the 34-year-old, who’s coming off a third-round knockout victory over Anthony Smith last December. But as we saw with Steve Erceg, who earned his first UFC title opportunity as a 10th-ranked contender in May, once your name is in the rankings, an opportunity to face the champion is always within reach.
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“I didn’t expect it at all,” Rountree said of being offered this fight at this point in his career. “I got a call—my phone was ringing. UFC calls, I answer the phone. I wasn’t having the best day, and I said it in the call: ‘I’m not having the best day, but what’s up?’ And they’re like, ‘Hey, got some good news, maybe brighten up your day. You’re fighting for the title on October 5.’ And I’m like, ‘What?’ It just blew my mind.
“In that moment, what else do I say other than, ‘Hell yeah, let’s do it.’ So, it came as a surprise and, since then, I’ve just been on top of the world.”
Rountree has dreamed of capturing UFC gold since he started competing over a decade ago, but it’s only recently, as he’s matured and understood what it truly takes to reach that level, that it’s seemed more attainable. Now, with 20 professional fights under his belt, he feels more than ready for this moment.
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“The idea and thought and hope of being a champion was always there, and I always wanted it for as long as I’ve been in the UFC,” Rountree said. “I just didn’t know the work that it took to get there. I’m at a point right now where I know what it’s like to work hard. Now that it’s finally here, it's just such an amazing feeling. I’ve put so much work in and had so many different ups and downs. I grew up in the UFC, so with the record that I have now, it just shows that all my fights have been here. All of those things add up to this moment now, and I’m prepared.”
From a fan's perspective, this is as exciting a matchup as one could ask for in the light heavyweight division. In Rountree’s last five fights, he’s finished four opponents and earned three Performance of the Night bonuses. Meanwhile, Pereira has scored six KO victories since his debut in 2021, four of which came in title fights. This calendar year alone, Pereira has finished two former champions: Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 and Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303.
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“Anyone who has seen him fight, anyone who has seen me fight, just use your imagination,” Rountree said. “You’re getting two amazing, dynamic, explosive strikers in the cage fighting for a belt, five rounds at altitude. What else could you ask for?
“I admire his career; I admire what he’s done. It’s actually been a lot of my motivation being in the division, and a lot of my motivation to climb to the top is because I see the impact that this guy’s had. I see the way he’s fighting and the way he’s finishing fights. I love it. It’s my motivation, and I’m like, ‘Cool, I want to do the same thing. I want to do it against you. Let’s do it.’ And now here we are.”
Don’t miss a moment of UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr., live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 5, 2024. Prelims start at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT, while the main card kicks off live on PPV at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
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