Khalil Rountree Jr. may have lost his title shot against Alex Pereira at UFC 307 this past October, but “War Horse” gained more in defeat than most fighters do in victory.
Many fight fans scoffed at the idea of Rountree competing against Pereira for the UFC light heavyweight title, but the former Ultimate Fighter standout did more than enough to prove his doubters wrong. In fact, Rountree had “Poatan” hurt early into their fight, but wasn’t able to put the champion away.
Pereira ended up smashing Rountree in the later rounds and stopped him with a vicious TKO in the fourth (highlights HERE). It was a pretty gnarly stoppage, but a moment that Rountree ultimately took in stride. To much surprise, Rountree admits to having fun during his loss to “Poatan,” which is not something losing fighters typically say.
“It was a bit surreal to be standing in front of him in moments, in the face-off and stuff,” Rountree recently told Fight Energy Films. “But I asked for that fight from the beginning. I always knew that I wanted to fight him, so when I was there, it was just more of a thing … this is what I’ve wanted, this is what I’ve always imagined.
“The only thing I can really remember is just being happy. Even the moment when I got finished in the fourth round, I just felt so happy throughout that whole fight. It felt like I was where I belonged. I felt like I belonged there. So it was really like living in a dream and there was nothing but happiness and excitement in those moments.”
Rountree, 34, snapped a five-fight win streak with his loss to Pereira earlier this year. It was his first knockout loss since getting stopped by Ion Cu?elaba back in 2019. The defeat wasn’t the best way to close out 2024, but Rountree has had time to reflect on his first UFC title shot and the recognition he’s received since then.
“Very big contrast,” Rountree said. “The time between now and that fight, there’s been a huge contrast of emotions. But it’s been more good than bad. I think the reflection point, I’m focused on getting better now, because I want to continue to win. I want to continue to put on exciting fights, but I want to continue on the path of becoming a champion. That’s still something I want to be and I’m going to work towards being.
“But it’s also nice that although I’m not a champion, I’ve got this level of respect and recognition that a champion would have. So it’s a weird position to be in, but it’s nice. I’ve still got some work to do.”