Khalil Rountree is all set to challenge the almighty Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight championship. The fight will take place at UFC 307, the biggest fight of Rountree’s professional career. As it turns out, Rountree has had a tough life and had to go through a lot to be in this position.
Khalil Rountree’s father was killed in an attempted robbery while working as a tour manager. His father was once a personal bodyguard for Muhammad Ali, the ‘Greatest’. Rountree’s lack of a father figure influenced his childhood causing him to lose his way. In a recent interview, the fighter discussed turning to alcohol and smoking to cope with his mental health.
That led me down a path of self-destruction. I was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. I was drinking alcohol non-stop. I was taking random prescription pills. Just trying to numb all my pain.
Khalil Rountree via UFC 307 Countdown
Rountree shared a particular incident that took place when he was over 300 pounds. According to the fighter, one night his heart started doing weird things and he felt like dying in his sleep. Over the years, Rountree has worked on himself and has developed himself into a killing machine.
Khalil Rountree tells the story of how MMA helped him turn his life around.
He explains how the death of his father led him down a path of “self-destruction”, to the point where he was smoking 2 packs of cigarettes daily, drinking alcohol nonstop, and weighed up to 305 lbs at… pic.twitter.com/rF3Q25crwC
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 29, 2024
Rountree entered the UFC in 2016 and gradually rose to the top. After years of effort, he has now been given the opportunity to test his mettle against a strong fighter like Alex Pereira. Going into the title bout, the stakes are high for the Los Angeles native, who has long been waiting for his chance.
How did Khalil Rountree change his life?
The turning point in Khalil Rountree‘s life was discovering MMA and joining a gym. The fighter was living with his mother and siblings and didn’t know what to do. One day he discovered MMA on TV and watched fighters like Rampage Jackson channeling their aggression in TUF. This gave Rountree the idea to do the same.
Rountree joined the Wand Fight Team gym in Las Vegas to become someone like Wanderlei Silva. As expected, it was a life-altering experience for Rountree who could see himself doing this for the rest of his life. As a heavy person, it was hard for him to train in his early days but with time he changed that.
I lost 100 pounds in 11 months. From the first time that I did that Muay Thai class, every day I would get rid of something that I knew wasn’t good for me. First day it was cigarettes, next day it was soda, then it was, ‘Okay, I’m not eating fast food anymore. I’m going to just eat vegetables and eggs and protein.’ Then I started feeling better
Khalil Rountree via The MMA Hour
Rountree had a natural talent for fighting and trained every day and never looked back. He was particularly interested in Muay Thai and over the years honed his striking skills. Rountree has 9 knockout wins and has promised to add another one to the list against Alex Pereira. The fighter doesn’t want to shoot for a takedown and has promised to stand and bang with ‘Poatan’.
