Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight finishers Anthony Smith and Khalil Rountree will go to war this weekend (Sat., Dec. 9, 2023) at UFC Vegas 83 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Former title challenger Smith appears to be slowing down a bit, but he saved his spot in the Top 10 last time out by defeating Ryan Spann a second time. At this point, scoring another title shot seems rather unlikely for “Lionheart.” It’ll take something special, a sudden development or big change in his approach to fighting.
We’ve said similar things of Rountree in the past. Despite obvious physical gifts, Rountree has never been the most consistent, but that finally appears to be changing. The 33-year-old striker is riding a four-fight win streak, and now he’s been given an unexpected chance to break into the Top 10.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
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Anthony Smith
Record: 36-18
Key Wins: Ryan Spann (UFC Singapore, UFC Vegas 37), Volkan Oezdemir (UFC Fight Night 138), Alexander Gustafsson (UFC Fight Night 153), Jimmy Crute (UFC 261), Mauricio Rua (UFC Fight Night 134), Hector Lombard (UFC Fight Night 116), Devin Clark (UFC Vegas 15)
Key Losses: Jon Jones (UFC 235), Glover Teixeira (UFC Jacksonville), Aleksandar Rakic (UFC Vegas 8), Thiago Santos (UFC Fight Night 125), Magomed Ankalaev (UFC 277), Johnny Walker (UFC Charlotte)
Keys to Victory: Smith has seen it all inside the Octagon. A powerful kickboxer with underrated jiu-jitsu, Smith commonly outlasts opponents and capitalizes late in fights when both are feeling worn down.
This match up all comes down to Smith capitalizing on a Rountree error. In a straight up kickboxing match, it’s hard not to favor Rountree, but Smith has plenty of options to mix it up. Looking to catch kicks or fight in the clinch are viable options for “Lionheart,” who undoubtedly holds a significant ground advantage.
I’d like to see some pressure from Smith here. In the past, he’s been too willing to hang back at his opponent’s kicking range, which has seen his legs chewed up. Rountree will surely be looking for the low kick, so forcing the knockout artist to his back foot is a good idea. In addition to opening up takedown options, Smith’s own swarming combinations tend to work best against an opponent he can really charge at.
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Khalil Rountree Jr.
Record: 12-5 (1)
Key Wins: Gokhan Saki (UFC 226), Paul Craig (UFC Fight Night 113), Dustin Jacoby (UFC Vegas 63), Eryk Anders (UFC 236)
Key Losses: Johnny Walker (UFC Fight Night 140), Ion Cutelaba (UFC Fight Night 160), Tyson Pedro (UFC Fight Night 101), Marcin Prachnio (UFC 257)
Keys to Victory: For a man with eight knockout wins — a respectable but not crazy number — it’s kind of absurd just how hard Rountree hits. This is the man who melted Gokhan Saki with a single shot, and he’s managed to level up his kicks to be similarly punishing.
Rountree is definitely a fighter guilty of occasional overthinking. Hopefully, he avoids that pitfall here, because the path to victory couldn’t be any more obvious: kick the crap out of Anthony Smith’s legs.
Smith doesn’t defend low kicks well. His stance isn’t suited to check well, and he’s not fast enough on his feet to avoid them entirely. Walker, Ankalaev, Rakic — all of the men to recently defeat him have torn up that lead leg. Given Rountree’s speed and excellent kicking form, why not him?
It shouldn’t take more than a handful of low kicks from Rountree to really hamper Smith’s movement and limit his fighting abilities. If Rountree uses movement, feints, and a few punches to set up his low kicks, there’s reason to believe he can break into the Top 10 painlessly.
Bottom Line
Smith’s ranking is on the line here.
“Lionheart” took a serious gamble by stepping in on two week’s notice. Rountree is hitting his stride and looking dangerous, and his kick-heavy style seems to present Smith with some serious issues. It’s a ballsy move that doesn’t offer a ton of payoff — victory isn’t going to score Smith the Alex Pereira grudge match he desires, though I suppose it’s a small step in the right direction.
As for Rountree, it’s always been questioned whether the knockout artist can live up to his obvious athletic potential. Breaking into the Top 10 would be a great start! Smith would be a strong name for his resume and win streak, one that could really reintroduce Rountree 2.0 as a bonafide contender at 205 lbs.
At UFC Vegas 83, Anthony Smith and Khalil Rountree will duel in the co-main event. Which man earns the victory?