Khalil Rountree said he won’t change his style for his next title fight.
Rountree himself probably didn’t expect his wish to be granted when he demanded a title fight against Alex Pereira in December 2023 after brutally knocking out Anthony Smith. At the time, Pereira had just won the light heavyweight title by knockout over former champion Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 last November. After two title defenses, Pereira will defend his title against Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 on October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
When Rownley first made the case for a title fight with Pereira, he claimed it would be a stylistic favorite matchup. Now, amid heavy criticism from higher-ranked challengers, Rownley continues to defend the bout, citing both men’s stand-up ability. And because he believes the bout was warranted for the same reasons, Rownley isn’t going to deprive fans of a potentially great fight by taking on Pereira.
“You have to think about it, I’ve never scored a takedown in my career,” Rountree recently told The Schmo. “That’s not in the plan. I’m here to put on a great fight for the fans. Like this fight, no matter what anybody says, this is a fight for the fans. With my style, with his style, I don’t think this fight will disappoint. So I’m here to do what I do, to do what the fans and everybody knows I can do. So all I can say is, expect a great fight.”
Rountree currently boasts an impressive record of five straight wins, including four finishes. The 34-year-old has finished nine of his 13 career fights, six of which have come in the first round, while Pereira has won two titles within two years of his UFC debut and has finished six of his eight UFC wins.
