Khalil Rountree got the signature win he’s been wanting to add to his resume Saturday after defeating former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith in the UFC Fight Night 233 co-main event.
Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) saw his career-best streak reach five when he beat Smith (37-19 MMA, 12-9 UFC) by third-round TKO at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
“The War Horse” once again made the difference with his power and striking technique as he managed to hurt Smith multiple times before dropping him for the finish 56 seconds into Round 3. Afterward, Rountree called for a title shot against reigning 205-pound kingpin Alex Pereira.
“I came in with high hopes I would have a good performance,” Rountree said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “Las Vegas is the home of the UFC. And in my mind I feel like it’s time to have a champion at home. I’m in the top 10 now and the only thing that I want to do is fight Alex Pereira. I know that I have other people that I have to possibly fight, but I know that’s a fight the fans would want to see. I think that from what I’ve seen, the fans would love to see that fight.”
After tonight's finish at #UFCVegas83, @KhalilRountree has a message for Alex Pereira 👀 pic.twitter.com/FNdlvUai2d
— UFC (@ufc) December 10, 2023
KHALIL ROUNTREE SENT HIM TO ANOTHER DIMENSION 😳 #UFCVegas83 pic.twitter.com/8R9dXZeKn3
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 10, 2023
Smith pushed to the middle of the cage to begin Round 1. However, Rountree got a read quickly and started landing some powerful shots. Smith stayed composed and found him moments to counter, but Rountree significantly tested his chin on multiple occasions.
The momentum for Rountree continued into Round 2. He wobbled Smith with a huge punch early in the round then settled in to a persistent flow of punches and kicks. Smith continued to push forward and pressure Rountree, but failed to land anything clean enough to meaningfully alter the flow of the action.
In the third, Rountree loaded up with a slick uppercut, left hand combination that once again sent Smith wobbling back. This time he dropped, and while Rountree stood over him threatening a hammerfist, the referee stopped in and waved it off.
With the result, Rountree, who entered the fight No. 12 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, can expect forward movement into the top 10 of the weight class. The 33-year-old hasn’t tasted defeat since January 2021, but had never got open the hump of four-straight wins previously in his career. Now that has changed.
Smith, meanwhile, fell short after stepping in on 15 days’ notice as a replacement to fight Rountree. “Lionheart” is now 1-3 in his past four fights dating back to July 2022.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 233 results include:
- Khalil Rountree def. Anthony Smith via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:56
- Nasrat Haqparast def. Jamie Mullarkey via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:44
- Tim Elliott def. Su Mudaerji via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:02
- Andre Muniz def. Junyong Park via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Kevin Jousset def. Song Kenan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- HyunSung Park def. Shannon Ross via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:59
- Steve Garcia def. Melquizael Costa via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:01
- Luana Santos def. Stephanie Egger via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Tatsuro Taira def. Carlos Hernandez via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:55
- Talita Alencar def. Rayanne Amanda via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.
