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Khalil Rountree Jr. believes that fans are interested in watching him fight UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. However, fan reactions to his statement suggest that they are not fully convinced just yet.
The No. 11-ranked Rountree defeated No. 8-ranked Anthony Smith via third-round knockout at the UFC Vegas 83 on December 9. This was the biggest win of the 33-year-old’s career so far and he may enter into the top 10 of the division in the official UFC rankings.
Following the win, Khalil Rountree Jr. expressed the desire to take a major leap in terms of competition and said:
“Las Vegas is my home. I’ve been here since [I was] five years old. It’s the home of the UFC. In my mind, I feel like it’s time to have a champion at home. I’m in the top ten now and the only thing that I want to do is fight Alex Pereira. I know that I have other people that I need to possibly fight. But I think that’s the fight that fans would want to see.”
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Watch Khalil Rountree Jr. express his thoughts below:
Rountree’s callout drew mixed reactions from MMA fans. Here are some reactions:
@JustPropBetz commented:
“He doesn’t want that fight LOL, not yet.”
@mattdoteff opined:
“You know what? The fans DO wanna see this.”
@LKICRE had a scary prediction and commented:
“Would be a career-ending fight for Khalil.”
@Mmalife11 commented:
“That would be a sick scrap.”
The UFC light heavyweight division has witnessed fierce competition as the title has changed hands on five occasions over the last three years. Former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira created history when he defeated Jiri Prochazka in the vacant light heavyweight title fight at UFC 295 in November 2023.
Former title holder Jamahal Hill, who is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury, has been announced as the next challenger to Pareira’s championship reign. Khalil Rountree Jr. is the latest addition to the list of fighters aiming for a title shot.
