Sean Strickland doesn’t think Khalil Rountree Jr. has anything to offer Alex Pereira in their next title fight.
Pereira will defend his light heavyweight title against Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 on October 5th at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Strickland is currently in Utah helping his former foe train for his next fight.
Strickland suffered a knockout loss to ‘Poitan’ in 2022, but has since repeatedly acknowledged the Brazilian’s power and skill. The former enemies have trained together many times. The former middleweight champion also has a history with Rountree, having trained together in the past. Strickland gave an emotional post-fight interview with Rountree for the first time in 2022, calling the light heavyweight contender an “adult with special needs.” Strickland recently resumed his onslaught of Rountree ahead of UFC 307, recalling the suspicions from their past matchup.
UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Order now!
Strickland also doesn’t see Rountree making a move against Pereira at UFC 307. Rountree won a technical knockout over Anthony Smith in December 2023, marking his fourth finish in a five-fight winning streak. But Strickland doesn’t think Rountree has the skill to do the same for Pereira. Strickland expects the champion to have an easy night at the office to defend his title.
“I can’t see Khalil. [Rountree] He did it…I remember watching him fight Anthony Smith and I was like, I can’t see it happening at all. [with Pereira]” Strickland recently told Helen Yee. “I don’t think so.
[Rountree] There are tools in your toolbox to defeat Alex. He hasn’t knocked him out or beaten him or wrestled him. I think Alex will make this fight easy. ”
Pereira won the 205-pound title with a TKO victory over Jiri Prochaska last year and has defended it twice since then, in a rematch against Jamahal Hill and ‘The BJP.’ Regardless of the outcome of the bout with Rountree, Pereira has expressed interest in moving down to middleweight to challenge for Doricas du Plessis’ title.
