LAS VEGAS – Dustin Jacoby thinks there’s a glaring chink in Khalil Rountree’s armor.
Jacoby (18-5-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) takes on Rountree (10-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 213 main card opener at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Unbeaten in the UFC since his return after years in kickboxing, Jacoby is enjoying his best octagon run. Rountree, too, arguably is in his best form with back-to-back TKOs of Modestas Bukauskas and Karl Roberson. But Jacoby says Rountree’s inconsistent career is a sign of weakness.
“I was licking my chops,” Jacoby told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s pre-fight news conference. “I had to throw him under the bus a little bit. He turned me down in March when I fought at UFC 272. He said no, and that’s a little feather in my cap. They came back and we were asking for a high-ranked opponent and they were all booked up. They were like, ‘Well, what about Rountree?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, of course, if he wants to.’
“He said yes this time, so I was super excited, super confident. It’s funny because I’ve got guys at the gym and people that talk about Khalil Rountree like, ‘Man, that guy is a killer.’ It’s the proving business and I can’t wait to go out and prove that he’s not a killer. He can be – I’ve got respect. I’m not talking smack at all. But I think he’s too up and down. He can look like a killer, and physically he’s a killer. But mentally is where it matters most. I think mentally, that’s where he’s the weakest.”
Both men boast a high finishing rate, but Jacoby only can gauge how the fight will go depending on which Rountree shows up.
“Khalil is so up and down,” Jacoby said. “If he’s the down Rountree, it’s not going to go long at all. If he’s the up Rountree, it’s going to be a great fight – and I still think it’s going to be a good fight. But I keep saying it: It’s the proving business, and I’m going to get an opportunity to go out there and prove that I’m the better fighter.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 213.
