Fighters don’t usually see their star rise following a loss, but Khalil Rountree Jr. isn’t like most fighters.
Scoring himself an unlikely UFC title opportunity in October, ‘The War Horse’ made the most of the moment, going toe-to-toe with then light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in one of the most exciting scraps of the year.
Rountree Jr. ultimately came up short against Pereira, but his willingness to slug it out with one of the most decorated knockout artists in MMA history immediately endeared him to fight fans, taking him from contender to superstar overnight.
“First time in my life I would have never imagined that outcome—of a loss,” Rountree Jr. told MMA Fighting. “But it was great, it was a chance. I didn’t come home with the belt, but I came home with countless fans and respect from fans around the world. That to me meant a lot and still means a lot. Even to this day, it’s very surprising the amount of fans around the world that were touched by that fight. It’s good, it’s very good.
“I think I proved a lot of people wrong, those who were like, ‘Oh, why is he getting the shot?’ They’re now sort of in my corner. I found multiple moral victories in that fight, and it motivated me to continue to work hard.”
Khalil Rountree Jr. meets ‘Sweet Dreams’ in Azerbaijan
Rountree Jr. will look to climb back into the win column this Saturday when he steps into the main event spotlight once again at UFC Baku. There, ‘The War Horse’ will throw hands with another former 205-pound titleholder, Jamahal Hill.
Odds are pretty tight for the UFC’s first-ever main event in Azerbaijan, with Hill trending as a slight -115 favorite while Rountree Jr. is sitting at -105.
