Tag: Khalil Rountree Jr.

Dana White Outraged Over UFC Rankings Panel, Plans System Overhaul

Dana White once again unleashed his fury at the UFC rankings panel in the aftermath of UFC 307. The UFC rankings system has faced intense criticism repeatedly over the past few months, and it appears that the latest outburst from the UFC CEO followed the weekly update released in the days after UFC light heavyweight […]

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Dana White once again unleashed his fury at the UFC rankings panel in the aftermath of UFC 307.

The UFC rankings system has faced intense criticism repeatedly over the past few months, and it appears that the latest outburst from the UFC CEO followed the weekly update released in the days after UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira’s successful title defense against Khalil Rountree Jr.

While “The War Horse” was unable to dethrone the Brazilian titleholder, he certainly made an impression with his performance in the early rounds, pushing “Poatan” to his limits. However, Rountree Jr. was unable to make any progress in the updated 205-pound rankings and remained at #8.

Infuriated by the recent developments, White took to his Instagram Stories to lash out at the members of the UFC rankings panel. He assured his followers that he would hold a meeting this week to address the issues and revamp the system.

“The morons strike again,” White said. “Khalil Rountree fights that badass fight against Pereira, and the morons rank him #8, keeping him at #8. Literally, this week, I have a meeting to try to fix the rankings and get all these no-nothing motherf**kers out of it. So hopefully, this week I get this fixed.”

White’s frustrations with the rankings panel are nothing new; he has voiced his dissatisfaction over reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones not being ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter in recent months.

Just last month, in an interview with Kevin Iole, he discussed the controversy surrounding Renato Moicano, who believed he deserved a higher ranking in the lightweight division after his dominant victory over Benoît Saint Denis at UFC Fight Night Paris.

The UFC head honcho revealed that he is contemplating the integration of artificial intelligence into the UFC’s ranking system to replace the current panel, composed of media representatives from various MMA publications.

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‘I Felt It’ Alex Pereira Responds to Being Hurt by Rountree Jr. in Round 2 of UFC 307 Main Event

Alex PereiraAlex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. went to war at UFC 307, and damage was sustained on both sides….

Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. went to war at UFC 307, and damage was sustained on both sides.

Surprisingly, this battle played out almost exclusively on the feet. Rountree and Pereira never really committed to takedowns; instead, the duo opted to have a high-stakes kickboxing match.

Things stayed pretty even in the first three rounds, but the tide would definitely change in round four. Pereira didn’t push much of a tempo in the first three rounds and instead just reacted to what Rountree Jr. dished out and provided his own consistent but not overwhelmingly active offense in return.

The calf kicks were flowing despite Rountree Jr. being a southpaw. And while Rountree saw a lot of success with his hands in the early rounds, it was almost a trap laid by the champion. Pereira seemingly felt out his opponent in those first three rounds while taking care not to fall behind volume-wise.

In round two, however, the champion experienced a very sketchy moment when he seemed to get dropped momentarily by his hungry opposition.

Alex Pereira comments on The sketchy moment in the second round of Khalil Rountree Jr. Fight

What happened was like poetry in motion. Khalil Rountree Jr. slipped a headkick from Pereira and appeared to wobble his opponent with a slick counter punch. Sadly, this would be Rountree’s biggest moment of the fight, and it was all downhill from there.

Pereira began to apply more pressure as the fight aged, and in round four, it was all over. The Brazilian wasted no time in walking forward and landing damage. He steadily landed sharp strikes on his opponent all round long, and by the end of things, he reduced Rountree Jr. into a swollen and bloody mess that crumpled onto the canvas In defeat.

After his victory and successful title defense, Alex Pereira explained what it was like during that sketchy moment in round two of the fight.

“If it’s the moment that I’m thinking of, I felt [the strike]. But I’ve got to rewatch it, I’m not sure,” Alex Pereira told media at the post-fight press conference. “I think it was something spinning, maybe. I had my back to him. I don’t remember. (But) I felt it.”

How close do you think Pereira was to getting finished during that hectic moment in round two of the fight?

‘I Felt It’ Alex Pereira Responds to Being Hurt by Rountree Jr. in Round 2 of UFC 307 Main Event

Alex PereiraAlex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. went to war at UFC 307, and damage was sustained on both sides….

Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. went to war at UFC 307, and damage was sustained on both sides.

Surprisingly, this battle played out almost exclusively on the feet. Rountree and Pereira never really committed to takedowns; instead, the duo opted to have a high-stakes kickboxing match.

Things stayed pretty even in the first three rounds, but the tide would definitely change in round four. Pereira didn’t push much of a tempo in the first three rounds and instead just reacted to what Rountree Jr. dished out and provided his own consistent but not overwhelmingly active offense in return.

The calf kicks were flowing despite Rountree Jr. being a southpaw. And while Rountree saw a lot of success with his hands in the early rounds, it was almost a trap laid by the champion. Pereira seemingly felt out his opponent in those first three rounds while taking care not to fall behind volume-wise.

In round two, however, the champion experienced a very sketchy moment when he seemed to get dropped momentarily by his hungry opposition.

Alex Pereira comments on The sketchy moment in the second round of Khalil Rountree Jr. Fight

What happened was like poetry in motion. Khalil Rountree Jr. slipped a headkick from Pereira and appeared to wobble his opponent with a slick counter punch. Sadly, this would be Rountree’s biggest moment of the fight, and it was all downhill from there.

Pereira began to apply more pressure as the fight aged, and in round four, it was all over. The Brazilian wasted no time in walking forward and landing damage. He steadily landed sharp strikes on his opponent all round long, and by the end of things, he reduced Rountree Jr. into a swollen and bloody mess that crumpled onto the canvas In defeat.

After his victory and successful title defense, Alex Pereira explained what it was like during that sketchy moment in round two of the fight.

“If it’s the moment that I’m thinking of, I felt [the strike]. But I’ve got to rewatch it, I’m not sure,” Alex Pereira told media at the post-fight press conference. “I think it was something spinning, maybe. I had my back to him. I don’t remember. (But) I felt it.”

How close do you think Pereira was to getting finished during that hectic moment in round two of the fight?

MMA Analyst Explains How Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Performance Differed From Win Against Israel Adesanya

Alex Pereira has defended the UFC light heavyweight three times in 2024 while breaking Ronda Rousey’s record of the quickest turnarounds between three title defenses. Although many believed Khalil Rountree to be a much easier opponent than former champs Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka, “The War Horse” gave Pereira one of his toughest UFC fights. […]

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Alex Pereira has defended the UFC light heavyweight three times in 2024 while breaking Ronda Rousey’s record of the quickest turnarounds between three title defenses.

Although many believed Khalil Rountree to be a much easier opponent than former champs Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka, “The War Horse” gave Pereira one of his toughest UFC fights. The challenger won the first two rounds and compelled the champion to make several adjustments.

Luke Thomas, like countless others, has all the praise in the world for Pereira’s UFC 307 performance. While breaking it down, he explained how “Poatan” handled Rountree and Israel Adesanya in vastly different ways…

Luke Thomas Breaks Down Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Win Over Khalil Rountree By Comparing It To His First MMA Win Over Israel Adesanya

Thomas reacted to the UFC 307 main event on his YouTube channel recently. Right away, he shut down people claiming that the light heavyweight kingpin shouldn’t have faced trouble against the no. 8 ranked person in the division.

Then, the analyst explained how Rountree forced Pereira to change his traditional game plan that involves inside leg kicks, jabs to the body, head kicks, and most importantly, the left hook. None of these elements seemed to work against “The War Horse” in the first two rounds following which “Poatan” relied on his left jab and gradually mixed things up.

“I cannot overstate to you how difficult that is for most fighters, including most elite fighters. Most elite fighters have a game. This is what they do. And if that doesn’t work, and they’re still five, ten, 15 minutes, they have no other gear to go to. And in fact, I’m going to say this in a complimentary way, that is what ultimately happened to Khalil Rountree. He had a game and it was very very potent but once Poatan was able to like plug little holes in it and it began to leak, there was no going back.”

Thomas highlighted how hard it is for fighters, regardless of skill and experience, to ditch their game plan mid-fight. To explain this further, he compared the significant strikes stats for the UFC 307 main event to the first UFC fight between Pereira and Adesanya.

Against Rountree, the Brazilian landed 72% head strikes, 13% body strikes, and 14% leg kicks. Against Adesanya at UFC 281, he landed 46% head strikes, 29% body strikes, and 24% leg kicks. Although both fights ended similarly, the difference in Pereira’s approach is evident.

“This is proof positive. He didn’t have to work for the jab [against Adesanya] nearly as much in this one and the jab is obviously relevant to the body too, but. look at how much the jab to the top of the head was absolutely critical.”

Continue Reading MMA Analyst Explains How Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Performance Differed From Win Against Israel Adesanya at MMA News.

Former UFC Champ Highlights ‘Weirdest Thing’ About Fighting Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira will defend his UFC light heavyweight champion against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 this weekend. Winning would help him break Ronda Rousey’s record and make him the UFC champion to defend their belt three times in the shortest duration. Pereira’s rise to the top of the sport is unprecedented. He got a title […]

Continue Reading Former UFC Champ Highlights ‘Weirdest Thing’ About Fighting Alex Pereira at MMA News.

Alex Pereira will defend his UFC light heavyweight champion against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 this weekend. Winning would help him break Ronda Rousey’s record and make him the UFC champion to defend their belt three times in the shortest duration.

Pereira’s rise to the top of the sport is unprecedented. He got a title shot at Israel Adesanya after just three fights in the UFC and bagged the middleweight championship by knocking out the long-time champ in the fifth.

After his only UFC loss to “The Last Stylebender”, “Poatan” has continued his impressive run in the light heavyweight division. According to Daniel Cormier, fighting the Brazilian is a huge mental challenge as well, and Rountree might be already doing better than the likes of Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka…

Daniel Cormier Gives Khalil Rountree The Edge Over Jamahal Hill And Ji?í Procházka Ahead Of UFC 307 Title Fight Against Alex Pereira

Cormier interviewed Rountree on his YouTube channel recently. When asked about the odds heavily favoring the champion, Rountree stated that people underestimate him because he doesn’t talk trash and is usually respectful during interviews.

To this, Cormier couldn’t help but bring up how fighters act unusual before taking on Pereira. Hill used several antics to try and get into the UFC light heavyweight kingpin’s head, with DC recalling him trying to break the arrow during Pereira’s walkout at UFC 300. Following the KO loss, Hill has been called out by fans for making excuses as well.

Prochazka, who’s lost twice to Pereira, recently claimed that the Brazilian uses black magic and spirits to beat his opponents. For someone as stoic as the Czech fighter, these claims were called strange by many.

Rountree, according to Cormier, doesn’t seem to be acting unusual leading up to his UFC 307 title fight. He’s still the nice guy in interviews and isn’t feeling the pressure of facing an intimidating opponent like Pereira.

“That’s you, right? That’s you! But, the weirdest thing about Pereira and dealing with Pereira, people start to act like not themselves. So, when he was walking to the Octagon, Jamahal Hill was like reaching over the cage like come on! He’s like very animated. Ji?í Procházka is just doing all kind of weird s**t. Jiri doing all kind of crazy s**t up in there. He’s doing this, he’s doing.. Jiri’s just not acting like himself, right?”

Continue Reading Former UFC Champ Highlights ‘Weirdest Thing’ About Fighting Alex Pereira at MMA News.

‘I Was Crushed’ – Khalil Rountree Shares ‘Super Emotional’ Story Sparring Pre-Strikeforce Daniel Cormier

MMA journalist Brett Okamoto left Daniel Cormier in shock by revealing that the former two-division UFC champ had sparred with Khalil Rountree way back in the 2000s. It was in Wanderlei Silva’s gym; both were quite new to MMA. Unsurprisingly, Cormier ended up rag-dolling Rountree with his wrestling. “The War Horse” was just starting to […]

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MMA journalist Brett Okamoto left Daniel Cormier in shock by revealing that the former two-division UFC champ had sparred with Khalil Rountree way back in the 2000s. It was in Wanderlei Silva’s gym; both were quite new to MMA.

Unsurprisingly, Cormier ended up rag-dolling Rountree with his wrestling. “The War Horse” was just starting to train MMA at the time while DC was close to fighting for Strikeforce after representing the USA in the Olympics. It is safe to assume that Rountree wasn’t mentally prepared to be manhandled.

While Cormier might have treated the sparring session like any other, here’s how it became a significant learning experience for Rountree, who’s now challenging Alex Pereira for the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 307…

Khalil Rountree Explains Why Sparring Daniel Cormier Made Him Want To Quit Fighting

Cormier finally asked Rountree about their decade-old sparring session while interviewing the UFC 307 title challenger on his YouTube channel.

“The War Horse” revealed that he, alongside DC, weighed in close to 280 pounds which explains why they were expected to spar together. Both UFC veterans were complete MMA amateurs at the time and as soon as Rountree started swinging, DC did what he knew best.

“I was like, maybe 280, and you were coming in around the same. You were making your transition, about to fight in Strike Force. You came to Wanderlei’s to train. I was swinging and I hit you with some stuff and you picked me up and you slammed me. And you were all over me. I think we did two rounds. After that, I was like super emotional and my boxing coach came over. He wrote your name on a piece of paper, he put it in my shirt, he said go home and watch that on YouTube. And I typed your name, and I was like, ‘”Okay, that’s why!” You slammed me bro, it was like, and I didn’t even have an amateur fight yet.”

As a big man, Rountree wasn’t used to being slammed and after two rounds, he couldn’t help but be demotivated. His boxing coach informed the UFC light heavyweight about Cormier’s accolades in wrestling which made him feel much better about the sparring session.

Despite having no MMA experience, Cormier, by this time, had already been an Olympic wrestler and a well-known name in the wrestling community.

“We were sparring and I was swinging boom, I must have hit you and you picked me and boom! I was crushed coz I was like damn, I’ve never been slammed like that in my life.”

It’s very amusing to see how Cormier and Rountree crossed paths over a decade before and how different their lives have been since the sparring session. While DC has retired as one of the all-time greats, the latter aims to grab the title at UFC 307 and build a legacy of his own.

Continue Reading ‘I Was Crushed’ – Khalil Rountree Shares ‘Super Emotional’ Story Sparring Pre-Strikeforce Daniel Cormier at MMA News.