
Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree headlines UFC's debut in Azerbaijan
At UFC Fight Night on June 21 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, top 205-pound contenders Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree will meet in a five-round headliner, the promotion announced Friday.
AZERBAIJAN, ARE YOU READY??@JamahalH vs Khalil Rountree Jr. headline the first-ever UFC Baku on June 21 👏
Tickets on sale April 25 | Learn more: https://t.co/caJbrV3t2d
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AZƏRBAYCAN, HAZIRSAN ?@JamahalH və Khalil Rountree Jr. 21 iyun tarixində baş tutacaq ilk UFC… pic.twitter.com/qwhW8YtXmF
— UFC (@ufc) April 11, 2025
Both fighters look to bounce back from TKO losses.
A former UFC light heavyweight champion, Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) never lost his title. He was forced to vacate after an Achilles injury in a celebrity basketball game, then returned and was knocked out by Alex Pereira in the UFC 300 headliner in April. He returned in January and was finished by Jiri Prochazka via TKO.
Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) fought Pereira at UFC 307 in August as a sizeable underdog. Despite the odds, Rountree fought valiantly and had his moments against the champion. The fight was a grueling and violent affair. Rountree was finished in Round 4, but respect was heaped on him from every edge of the combat sports world for his performance.
The latest lineup for the card now includes:

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