"That put a smile on my face" - Khalil Rountree reacts to Conor McGregor praising him

Khalil Rountree has responded to MMA megastar Conor McGregor praising him. Rountree defeated Karl Roberson via second-round TKO at the UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Ankalaev event on March 12th. The end came courtesy of a soccer kick to the body of a downed Roberson and a few follow-up strikes.

Conor McGregor subsequently took to Twitter and praised Rountree for utilizing the well-timed and well-placed soccer kick. As per the "Unified Rules of MMA", kicks to the head of a downed opponent are banned, but kicks to the body of a downed opponent are permitted.

McGregor alluded to this fact and lauded Rountree’s timing and technique. Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Rountree addressed McGregor’s tweet and stated:

“It means the world. Conor McGregor is one of my favorite fighters, absolutely. And so, to see that last night, that put a smile on my face from ear to ear. That was so cool. Conor McGregor pretty much giving me props and saying that I did something that wasn’t boring; that’s cool. I didn’t even know that he was watching. I know most UFC fighters watch fights, but to even see, to know that he was tuned into the fight. Yeah, I think that’s cool. I’m geeked.” Rountree smiled and continued, “Gonna buy a whole case of Proper Twelve right now.”

The UFC light heavyweight reiterated that he’ll buy a case of Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey – a brand that McGregor founded and represents. Rountree added that he doesn’t drink, but he’ll place the case in his cabinet and be reminded of McGregor’s appreciative tweet whenever he opens the cabinet.

Watch Khalil Rountree’s conversation with Ariel Helwani in the video below:

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Michael Chandler on Conor McGregor potentially competing for UFC gold in his comeback fight

UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is set to defend his title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 on May 7th. Meanwhile, McGregor has expressed interest in facing Oliveira for the title in his comeback fight.

McGregor is on a two-fight losing streak. He suffered a leg injury last July in his fight against Dustin Poirier, but is likely to return this year. Speaking to The Schmo, UFC lightweight Michael Chandler revealed that he wouldn’t be surprised to see McGregor fight for the title on his return. Addressing a possible Oliveira-McGregor matchup, Chandler said:

“This is the fight game, but even more than that it is the fight business. If it makes good business, it makes good sense. In a lot of ways, Conor’s still the biggest name to ever hit the sport of mixed martial arts – definitely of all time as of right now, and maybe of all time in the future.”