Latest news with #Rountree
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 320 adds Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree
A key light heavyweight matchup has been booked for UFC 320. Former champion Jiri Prochazaka and former title challenger Khalil Rountree will collide in a three-round bout Oct. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the promotion announced Tuesday. Prochazka (31-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has lost only to Alex Pereira so far in the UFC. He's 2-1 in his most recent three with a Pereira loss bookended by TKO victories over Aleksandar Rakic and Jamahal Hill. Rountree (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) returned in June to defeat Hill by unanimous decision. The bout was his first following a spirited title bid vs. Pereira. Though Rountree was finished with strikes in Round 4, his success, toughness, and heart was praised around the combat sports world. With the addition, the UFC 320 lineup includes:
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jamahall Hill explains viral reaction to 'little crazy' scoring in Khalil Rountree loss
A lot was said about Jamahal Hill's reaction to the scoring of his loss to Khalil Rountree. Last month, in the main event of UFC on ABC 8 in Azerbaijan, Hill lost a unanimous decision to Rountree that read 49-46, 50-45 and 50-45, on the judges' scorecards. Many watching thought it was a clear, one-sided decision and were surprised to see Hill shocked by the cards. Hill, who recently addressed his defeat in a video on his YouTube channel, clarified what happened post-fight. He didn't think he beat Rountree but thought the fight was closer than what the scores read. "To me, at the moment, I thought I won the first round and the fifth round," Hill explained. "I've watched the fight back, and I still feel I won the first and the fifth round. I just think it was a pretty boring fight, and to score it that one-sided was a little crazy. I know people want to see me lose as bad as possible, but if you think that was on par with the type of dominations we've seen for five rounds, for example, I'll use my own experience, the Glover fight. If that was a five-round domination, then the Glover fight should've been 40-50. ... But ultimately, don't leave it in the judges' hands. You have to come out, implement yourself, and you don't have to worry about things like that." Hill's reaction to the scoring wasn't the only thing that was talked about following his bout. He also appeared to have confronted Rountree immediately after the bell, but it wasn't clear what was said. Hill was upset at the way Rountree fought him, but looking back, he now knows that fell on him. "The fight was more boring than I would've liked," Hill said. "I expected him to engage and come after me, so we could get after it and put more of a fight, of a show together, but it is what it is. The onus is on me to go in there and make fighters fight the fight that I want them to fight, and that didn't happen in this one." Hill, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, is now on a three-fight losing skid. His last victory came in January 2023 when he defeated veteran Glover Teixeira to win the vacant title. Hill opened up about his career rut on that same video, attributing the three defeats to his Achilles tear and lack of discipline.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Khalil Rountree reveals serious injury suffered weeks away from Jamahal Hill fight
Khalil Rountree credits his team for helping him battle through adversity heading into his fight against Jamahal Hill. Rountree (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) defeated Hill by unanimous decision in Saturday's UFC on ABC 8 headliner at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The former title challenger was able to knock down and outstrike Hill, but wasn't 100 percent going into the matchup. Rountree opened up on his struggles to make it to the fight. "About halfway through training camp, when I was training jiu-jitsu, was the first time I felt some discomfort in my knee," Rountree said on his YouTube channel. "Just from training with bigger guys and doing four sessions per day on top of like running and jiu-jitsu and pads, that's when I first started feeling the discomfort. Then it only grew from there until one day I woke up, and it was just really hard for me to walk and even stand. So, I got it checked out and ended up having a torn meniscus. Once I found out what the injury was, I think it was only about three weeks away from actual fight day. "So, it was obviously stressful, but I just had amazing, positive support to keep going, to not let it affect my mental and do whatever I could to push through it. ... Initially I was devastated, and I wasn't really able to train how I really wanted to, but it was kind of a blessing in disguise because I came into the cage really fresh because I haven't been able to spar in three weeks. There hasn't really been a lot of contact. The last three weeks had just been recovery on top of getting sick during fight week. Had I not had such a positive, supportive group of coaches, I don't think I would have gotten this far and done it on my own. I think I would have crumbled. So, it all paid off." Rountree rebounded from his title loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 307 by defeating former champion Hill. The Season 23 "Ultimate Fighter" finalist now has won six of his past seven fights.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Khalil Rountree Jr. outclasses Jamahal Hill at UFC Fight Night in Baku
Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. delivered a commanding performance in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Azerbaijan, earning a dominant unanimous decision victory over former champion Jamahal Hill . Rountree controlled the pace and dictated the action throughout the bout, securing scorecards of 49-46, 50-45, and 50-45 from the judges. Rountree (15-6 MMA) showcased his striking prowess with effective leg kicks and multiple knockdowns of the former light heavyweight champion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Experts Urge Seniors With Muscle Loss To Take This Key Nutrient Daily Native Creatine Learn More Undo — ufc (@ufc) Meanwhile, Hill (12-4 MMA) has now dropped three consecutive fights and is still looking to recapture the form , with his last victory dating back to January 2023. Live Events Rountree remains open to several possibilities for his next bout, stressing his desire to stay in the title mix. "I didn't come in here underestimating Jamahal," Rountree said after the fight. — ufc (@ufc) In the co-main event, local lightweight Rafael Fiziev (13-4 MMA) secured a unanimous decision victory against Ignacio Bahamondes, with all judges scoring 30-27. This marked Fiziev's first win since July 2022, with his superior striking proving decisive against Bahamondes (17-6 MMA), who suffered his first defeat since August 2023. As the No. 11-ranked fighter, Fiziev remained open regarding his next opponent. Curtis Blaydes emerged victorious in the heavyweight contest, earning a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over newcomer Rizvan Kuniev. Blaydes (19-5 MMA) rebounded from his loss to interim champion Tom Aspinall at UFC 304 last July. Post-fight, he expressed interest in facing Ciryl Gane in 'October or November', while nursing an MCL injury. Kuniev (12-3-1 MMA), who joined the Dana White Contender Series last August, experienced his first loss since August 2015. At 165-pound catchweight, Myktybek Orolbai (14-2-1 MMA) submitted Tofiq Musayev via kimura at 4:35 of Round 1. This victory marked Orolbai's fifth win in six bouts, whilst ending Musayev's (22-6 MMA) two-fight winning streak in his UFC debut. Lightweight Nazim Sadykhov delivered a remarkable performance, securing a TKO victory at 4:17 of Round 2 against Nikolas Motta. Despite nearly being finished in the first round, Sadykhov (11-1-1 MMA) rallied back, ultimately landing a 75-punch combination for the finish. Motta (15-6 MMA) recorded his first defeat since June 2023. The main card began with featherweight Muhammad Naimov securing a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over Bogdan Grad, marking the 13th consecutive decision since the previous Saturday's Atlanta event. Naimov (13-3 MMA) improved his UFC record to 4-1, while Grad (15-3 MMA) saw his four-fight winning streak end, moving to 1-1 in the promotion.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Khalil Rountree Jr. responds to Magomed Ankalaev's criticism of UFC on ABC 8 decision win
Khalil Rountree Jr. calls for Magomed Ankalaev to mind his own business following UFC Baku. Khalil Rountree Jr. was annoyed by the reaction the UFC light heavyweight champion had to his latest win. Rountree (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC), who defeated Jamahal Hill by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC on ABC 8 on Saturday, drew a four-word response from Magomed Ankalaev: "I am falling asleep." That was what Ankalaev wrote on X during Rountree's dominant win in Baku, Azerbaijan. "It's expected," Rountree said at the UFC on ABC 8 post-fight press conference. "That guy talks more about me than I talk about him. He says so much. It's like, 'Bro, you're the champion. Why are you talking about me? Get away. Go enjoy being the champion. Quit talking about me on Twitter.' Gosh. No more Ankalaev questions today. If you ask me, I'm putting the mic down." Rountree had plenty of success, fighting Hill. He connected clean multiple times, and mauled Hill's leg with kicks. However, there were periods of inactivity and times when Rountree was circling away from the former champion and not engaging, being up on the scorecards. Some online felt he could've done more to look for a finish. Despite the criticism, Rountree, who was coming off TKO loss to Alex Pereira last October, was actually very happy with his performance, as he intentionally wanted to fight the way he did on Saturday. "I think the fight was great. I was patient. I took my time. I stayed as safe as I could stay, still while defending myself and protecting myself and securing the rounds," Rountree said. "I thought that it was well thought-out. I thought that I had phenomenal coaching, a great game plan, and I thought I kept my composure in moments that I wanted to just rush and try to finish. I held myself back for the sake of going the distance and gaining more experience in the octagon."
