Khalil Rountree thinks he proved himself as a top light heavyweight in his loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 307, and now he wants to show he can be champion.
Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) put up a valiant effort earlier this month when he challenges Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) for the belt in a Fight of the Year candidate that resulted in a fourth-round TKO defeat. Rountree’s title shot was unexpected given his No. 8 ranked prior to the fight, but he surpassed the expectation of many before falling short.
Although he didn’t get his hand raised, the respect and admiration that’s poured in for Rountree from throughout the MMA community has been impossible to miss. He said it’s meant a lot to him, especially when coming from the UFC’s top power players.
“I’ve spoken personally with Dana (White) and Hunter (Campbell) and I feel like I got the steak dinner already because they were entertained,” Rountree told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think for me as a partner with the UFC it’s one of my biggest goals to make sure the guys at the top are pleased with what they see. After speaking with them and them being excited about the performance, they’re definitely pleased. That felt like a treat in itself. As far as what’s next on the fight end, I think there would be a little bit more room for me to say what I want. But that vision right now is not so clear.”
Rountree revealed he signed a new multi-fight UFC contract before stepping into the octagon with Pereira, and he intends to honor the whole deal. At 34, it seems this will be Rountree’s final big push in his career. He doesn’t want to take any backward steps, and that means facing a prominent name next
For Rountree, he is not picky outside of the numbers. He said he will need some time to recover from his various injuries and the nose surgery he underwent after the fight, but once he’s cleared for competition, the goal is to get the highest-ranked opponent possible so he can start to build another case for a crack at gold.
“I think right now any name in the top five or within title contention to me, makes sense,” Rountree said. “There’s not one name specifically. There’s not one person who I’m emotionally attached to or a fight I think I deserve next. But I would like to continue to fight people within the top five so I can get another shot at the title. It seems like the majority of the guys are booked or injured, but while I’m healing up there will be a good number of matchups to happen and I would love anybody that sets me up for another title fight.”
One name that has been frequently mentioned for Rountree is a rebooking with former champion Jamahal Hill, who he was supposed to face at UFC 303 in July before the matchup was scratched.
Hill went viral after UFC 307 for his yawning reaction to the main event, which he clarified wasn’t directed at Rountree. That’s a potential fight, but Rountree reiterated he’s not attaching himself to one name as of now.
“I saw it after the fact online – it’s nice to hear the clarification because based off the crowd response and everything I’ve seen, and other articles and post that I’ve seen – the majority of people seem to think it was an entertaining fight,” Rountree said. “So I was bit confused to see why he thoughts maybe it was boring or worth a yawn. But like I said, the clarification definitely helps. Not everyone is going to think the same. Not everyone is going to be entertained.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
