Khalil Rountree Jr. has just come off the fight of his life and is predicting bigger things ahead. ‘War Horse’ faced a fourth-round TKO title defeat at the pay-per-view headliner last weekend. After his UFC 307 war against Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill could be a potential scrap to look for. However, Pereira has his own take on the matter.
Khalil Rountree took Pereira to the fourth round, leading on all three scorecards. However, the bloodied 205lb title challenger eventually succumbed. He is on the rumor mills for an absolute barnburner against former champ Jamahal Hill next. Pereira took to his IG to post Rountree being ready “to return at the beginning of next year”.
If Jamahal accepts this fight he won’t be able to handle Khalil
Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira via IG stories (@alexpoatanpereira)
The excerpt is from Rountree talking to MMA columnist Kevin Iole. He was to face former champ Hill (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at UFC 303 in June. However, he pulled out, testing positive for the banned substance dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The Team Syndicate MMA striker said that he thinks a matchup with Hill is inevitable now and brass might rebook it soon.
Should their schedules coincide, a Rountree vs. Hill rematch makes all the sense in the world, with both contenders vying for another shot at gold. However, Alex Pereira says ‘Sweet Dreams’ will have an uphill task here. Most, like Hill, hardly fare beyond the first round against stone hand ‘Poatan’. Rountree with his striking pocket and mastery stuffed in four! Unlike Pereira though, others have different ideas about Rountree.
Khalil Rountree ‘will never be the same’ after UFC 307 damage
Three days after Khalil Rountree Jr. suffered a devastating fourth-round technical knockout loss, the fighter went under the knife. When Light Heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira downed him with an uppercut and two body shots, the former hit his nose and deviated his nasal septum.
Khalil Rountree might not return same after UFC 307 (Source: heavy.com/X)He had to go for septoplasty after the lengthy slicing and dicing atop the UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) fight card. Septoplasty is surgery to correct any problems with the septal cartilage, the structure inside the nose that divides the nose into two chambers. Per MountSinai.org/ the Mayo Clinic, it’s a gruesome process. Rountree Jr. will definitely need to recover well — Brendan Schaub though, thinks the beatdown could take the war out of War Horse.
You forget this is not a game — it’s fighting at the highest level, …Khalil Rountree is probably never going to be the same. Probably not. You watched it live. Rountree should be so proud of himself — he didn’t come into the fight thinking this, it’s just who he is. It’s in his blood, and we saw a lot of his blood. He had to remind you guys…This isn’t the Packers vs. the Dolphins, it’s not Dodgers vs. Padres. That was a straight up as close as you can get near-death experience that you’re watching on TV!
Brendan Schaub in UFC 307 recap segment of his ‘Thiccc Boy’ Podcast (@ThicccBoy)
The Ex-UFC fame had a lot of input on who ‘Poatan’ gets next after UFC 307. But he advised caution about Rountree returning; let alone having a prospect matchup with Jamahal Hill. It will probably be some time before Rountree returns due to the extent of the damage sustained.
When he does, a fight against the loser of the upcoming Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic might make sense, simply because the winner will probably get Pereira. They meet on this month’s UFC 308 pay-per-view from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
