Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree have a new UFC main event date – and it’s a far cry from their original setting in Kansas City.
The UFC will touch down in Azerbaijan for the first time this summer, and its bringing a light heavyweight contender main event with it.
At UFC Fight Night on June 21 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, top 205-pound contenders [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] will meet in a five-round headliner, the promotion announced Friday.
AZERBAIJAN, ARE YOU READY??@JamahalH vs Khalil Rountree Jr. headline the first-ever UFC Baku on June 21
Both fighters look to bounce back from TKO losses.
A former UFC light heavyweight champion, Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) never lost his title. He was forced to vacate after an Achilles injury in a celebrity basketball game, then returned and was knocked out by Alex Pereira in the UFC 300 headliner in April. He returned in January and was finished by Jiri Prochazka via TKO.
Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) fought Pereira at UFC 307 in August as a sizeable underdog. Despite the odds, Rountree fought valiantly and had his moments against the champion. The fight was a grueling and violent affair. Rountree was finished in Round 4, but respect was heaped on him from every edge of the combat sports world for his performance.
The opening odds for Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree at UFC Kansas City are dead even.
Former title challengers [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] will throw down in a pivotal light heavyweight clash.
Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree preview
Former champion Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will look to rebound after back-to-back knockout losses to then light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC 300, and most recently Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311.
In his most recent outing, Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) fought Pereira for the title at UFC 307. Rountree put up a valiant effort as a big underdog, but ultimately fell short when he was finished by Round 4 TKO. Prior to that, Rountree was on a five-fight winning streak.
Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree odds
According to DraftKings, the odds for Hill and Rountree have opened up at -110 even.
How to watch Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree at UFC Kansas City
Jamahal Hill is excited about the stylistic matchup he’s facing against Khalil Rountree.
[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] is excited about the stylistic matchup against [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag].
Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will look to rebound when he takes on Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) in a UFC Fight Night main event April 26 from T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Rountree’s stock grew immensely when he put up a valiant effort in his title fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 307. He won the first two rounds but was eventually overwhelmed and stopped in Round 4.
“What I like about the matchup is that he’s a popular name right now,” Hill said on the “On Paper With Anthony Smith” podcast. “So, a lot of people are big on him. He’s put on some exciting fights, and he’s an exciting fighter. He comes to bang, and I just think that my skillset and what I do very, very well, are things he’s not ready for.
“The things that I do well, I don’t think he does them, as well as I do. I think my game is really, really, really wide open in this fight. …He’s explosive, he hits hard, he comes forward, and he believes in his abilities to finish. I believe those are all things I’ll be able to turn against him.”
Since winning the UFC light heavyweight title, Hill faced a string of bad luck. He was forced to vacate his belt after tearing his Achilles in a celebrity basketball game, then was knocked out by Alex Pereira in his return at UFC 300 in April. In his most recent outing, he was finished by Jiri Prochazka via TKO at UFC 311.
While regaining the title is on his mind, Hill just wants to enjoy the process.
“In this last fight, even though it went the way that it went, I had fun,” Hill said. “I really had fun in this fight, and I enjoyed the fight. I had a blast. I felt blessed to be in my position in that fight. I just got to keep enjoying it, try not to lose that joy again.
“Because with the injury, then how the fight went against Alex, with how things got interrupted and things like that. Then the whole bullsh*t online and all of that other stuff, you kind of get away from the true beauty and enjoyment of the sport, and what we do. And, I don’t want to lose that again.”
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Although Rountree failed to become champion, he put up a valiant effort which elevated his stock.
“It was a bit surreal to be standing in front of him in moments, in the faceoff and stuff,” Rountree told Fight Energy Films. “But I asked for that fight from the beginning. I always knew that I wanted to fight him, so when I was there, it was just more of a thing of like, ‘OK, yeah, I’m finally here’ – not so much I’m here in front of this guy. It was more of, this is what I’ve wanted, this is the moment I’ve always imagined.
“He is a big guy, he is strong, he is everything, but it didn’t really mix me up too much. I was happy and prepared. … The only thing I can really remember is just being happy. Even the moment when I got finished in the fourth round, I just felt so happy throughout that whole fight. It felt like I was where I belonged. I felt like I belonged there. It was really like living in a dream and there was nothing but happiness and excitement in those moments.”
Prior to the title loss, Rountree was on a five-fight winning streak. The setback to Pereira has gotten him more respect from fans, leaving him more determined than ever to fulfill his goal of becoming champion.
“Very big contrast – the time between now and that fight, there’s been a huge contrast of emotions,” Rountree said. “But it’s been more good than bad. I think the reflection point, I’m focused on getting better now because I want to continue to win. I want to continue to put on exciting fights, but I want to continue on the path of becoming a champion.
“That’s still something that I want to be, and I’m going to work towards being. But it’s also really nice that although I’m not a champion, I’ve got this level of respect and recognition that a champion would have. So it’s a weird position to be in, but it’s nice, and I’ve still got some work to do.”
Rountree’s face was a mess, and he suffered a deviated septum which needed a painful procedure. He recently revealed that his vision was also severely compromised during the fight from the damage he took.
“In the moment, I didn’t feel it,” Rountree said on the “JAXXON Podcast.” “For instance, in the fight where this cut happened, I got hit, and boom. I knew I had gotten hit hard because I started to see my vision kind of blur a little bit. But the second one that landed, the one that actually split my eye, in that moment I went blind. But f*ck it: I’m going to keep going.
“I didn’t see anything after that – I saw just light. I didn’t see shadows, I didn’t see anything. It was like if someone put a frosted film. So I can’t see. I’m f*cking blind. But whatever – I’m not going to give up. But the sensation, I didn’t feel anything. The adrenaline was too high, but I realized it was there. My eye was f*cked up, but I’ll deal with it later.”
Rountree stood toe-to-toe with Pereira and found success early by winning Rounds 1 and 2 on all three judges’ scorecards, but “Poatan” was able to break him down eventually for a late finish.
In his most recent outing, Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) suffered a first-round knockout loss to Pereira at UFC 300 in April. He was scheduled to face Rountree at UFC 303 in June, but withdrew due to injury. His performance against Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) drew comparisons to Rountree’s, but Hill is confident that he would handily beat Rountree if they ever fought.
“The way that Pereira beat Khalil, for one – Pereira couldn’t beat me fighting that way,” Hill told Sportskeeda. “And two, that’s how I would’ve beat Khalil from the jump. He would’ve gotten beat like that even earlier in the fight. Pieced up with hands? Come on, bro. That’s what I do. People got recency bias and things like that. If anybody thinks that Khalil is on my level, let’s see him go and win a fight because he’s not even – we’re not even in the same bracket right now.
“He got a title shot just because he was an easy mark for the champ, he’s a favorable matchup for the champ. He’s No. 8, coming off a loss. I’m in the top five. He’s got to get a win before he gets up and before that’s even a thing. And if he does get a win, and that ever does materialize to be a thing, anybody who thinks he can beat me, bet $1 million on it. Bet your house on it. Real talk. I bet nobody going to bet nothing that they really want to lose on that. Nobody’s taking that bet.”
Hill revealed that he already signed a contract for his next fight. “Sweet Dreams” didn’t announce the opponent, but with former title challenger Jiri Prochazka also recently signing a contract, many are speculating it could be him.
Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Thursday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,506, the gentlemen welcome in Ian Parker to discuss the betting angles for PFL: Battle of the Giants. The fellas also preview the card in Riyadh, featuring the returns of Francis Ngannou and Cris Cyborg. Tune in!
Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,505, the gentlemen welcome in a pair of guests: Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] and upcoming Bellator middleweight title challenger [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag]. The fellas also recap UFC Fight Night 244 and more. Tune in!
Khalil Rountree is determined to fight for the title again after his UFC 307 loss to Alex Pereira, and doesn’t care who it put in his way.
[autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] thinks he proved himself as a top light heavyweight in his loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 307, and now he wants to show he can be champion.
Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) put up a valiant effort earlier this month when he challenges Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) for the belt in a Fight of the Year candidate that resulted in a fourth-round TKO defeat. Rountree’s title shot was unexpected given his No. 8 ranked prior to the fight, but he surpassed the expectation of many before falling short.
Although he didn’t get his hand raised, the respect and admiration that’s poured in for Rountree from throughout the MMA community has been impossible to miss. He said it’s meant a lot to him, especially when coming from the UFC’s top power players.
“I’ve spoken personally with Dana (White) and Hunter (Campbell) and I feel like I got the steak dinner already because they were entertained,” Rountree told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think for me as a partner with the UFC it’s one of my biggest goals to make sure the guys at the top are pleased with what they see. After speaking with them and them being excited about the performance, they’re definitely pleased. That felt like a treat in itself. As far as what’s next on the fight end, I think there would be a little bit more room for me to say what I want. But that vision right now is not so clear.”
Rountree revealed he signed a new multi-fight UFC contract before stepping into the octagon with Pereira, and he intends to honor the whole deal. At 34, it seems this will be Rountree’s final big push in his career. He doesn’t want to take any backward steps, and that means facing a prominent name next
For Rountree, he is not picky outside of the numbers. He said he will need some time to recover from his various injuries and the nose surgery he underwent after the fight, but once he’s cleared for competition, the goal is to get the highest-ranked opponent possible so he can start to build another case for a crack at gold.
“I think right now any name in the top five or within title contention to me, makes sense,” Rountree said. “There’s not one name specifically. There’s not one person who I’m emotionally attached to or a fight I think I deserve next. But I would like to continue to fight people within the top five so I can get another shot at the title. It seems like the majority of the guys are booked or injured, but while I’m healing up there will be a good number of matchups to happen and I would love anybody that sets me up for another title fight.”
One name that has been frequently mentioned for Rountree is a rebooking with former champion Jamahal Hill, who he was supposed to face at UFC 303 in July before the matchup was scratched.
Hill went viral after UFC 307 for his yawning reaction to the main event, which he clarified wasn’t directed at Rountree. That’s a potential fight, but Rountree reiterated he’s not attaching himself to one name as of now.
“I saw it after the fact online – it’s nice to hear the clarification because based off the crowd response and everything I’ve seen, and other articles and post that I’ve seen – the majority of people seem to think it was an entertaining fight,” Rountree said. “So I was bit confused to see why he thoughts maybe it was boring or worth a yawn. But like I said, the clarification definitely helps. Not everyone is going to think the same. Not everyone is going to be entertained.”
Israel Adesanya gives his opinion on Alex Pereira’s title defense against Khalil Rountree a UFC 307.
Give credit where credit is due. Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] paid his respect to both [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] and [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] following their recent clash.
This past Saturday, Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) gave fans one of the best championship fights of the year, going toe to toe for almost 20 minutes in the main event of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City.
Although the result was maybe expected, many were taken away by Rountree’s toughness and competitiveness, while also admiring Pereira’s comeback ability and skill. Adesanya was one of them.
“He lasted longer than I thought he would,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “At least someone else took him to the fourth round. It shows how good Khalil is. Again he’s (Pereira) got some hard fights in front of him, but he is that guy right now, he’s on.
“Honestly, I called it, but I thought it was going to be earlier. Shout out to Khalil because fighting with a broken nose and the intelligence not to blow his nose in the fight, respect. His stock goes up after this. What a moment.”
With the victory, Pereira is now on a five-fight winning streak since moving up to 205 pounds and has three title defenses. He won the light heavyweight title by stopping former champ Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 last November, and went on to pick up his first title defense in April at UFC 300 by finishing Jamahal Hill. “Poatan” then returned on short notice at UFC 303 in June, where he defeated Prochazka in a rematch.
On the other hand, Rountree saw his five-fight winning streak come to an end. This was his first UFC title opportunity in the eight years he’s been in the promotion.
