Tag: Khalil Rountree

Khalil Rountree Delivers Motivational Speech To His Teammates

Khalil Rountree gave a good account of himself in the main event of UFC 307 despite being a sizable underdog. Many expected that Alex Pereira would defend his lightweight title in Salt Lake City but the feeling was that the fight would be entertaining for however long it lasted. In the end, the challenger made […]

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Khalil Rountree gave a good account of himself in the main event of UFC 307 despite being a sizable underdog.

Many expected that Alex Pereira would defend his lightweight title in Salt Lake City but the feeling was that the fight would be entertaining for however long it lasted.

In the end, the challenger made it competitive in the first three rounds but started to slow down and when he did, an incredible display of toughness kept him in there as “Poatan” looked to close the show.

Just days after the biggest fight of his career, Rountree returned to his home base of Syndicate MMA where his coach, John Wood, used his fighter as a role model for others to follow.

“As a coach guys, there’s not much more, obviously the best thing is always to go out and get a win and that’s what we’re always looking to do and have that success but all I ask for you guys, one way or the other, is go out and fight your a** off. Go out on your shield like this man did the other night. Shock the world, proved to a lot of people that he deserves to be there, proved to himself, proved to all of us what we already knew, that he’s one of the best in the world so congratulations.”

Khalil Rountree Tells His Teammates That UFC 307 Setback Had Motivated Him And Should Do The Same For Them

Rountree then gave his own speech where he reflected on the fight and his performance against one of the biggest stars in the sport.

His interviews on fight week both before and after the contest featured a lot of talk about self belief and gratitude.

This was still the case in the words he said days after UFC 307, telling his teammates that he wanted to thank them for their support and share the positives that he was able to take away from the defeat.

“I’ve gone out there and like represented Syndicate. I think that like not only was I the underdog but it just shows like I’ve been training out of this place for so long and we don’t need all this crazy s***, we don’t need all these guys from all around the world. We just need us, we got enough people here on the mats to make sure that we can go and fight for a title and show who we are so yeah. I just wanted to swing by, I saw everybody’s support in the IG group so I thought let me just go say what’s up to everybody.

“But yeah, hell of a fight. Dude was big. Dude was big, I tried to use whatever tools I can but it motivated me. I think like just to know that I went in there and put up the fight that I had but I’m not done. We’re not done here, I know Syndicate we’re gonna keep going so yeah, appreciate you guys.”

Continue Reading Khalil Rountree Delivers Motivational Speech To His Teammates at MMA News.

VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Reacts To Former Rival Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Win

Israel Adesanya watched closely as UFC 307 went down this past weekend, where a former foe of his was back in action. The former two-time middleweight champion is always able to offer unparalleled analysis when Alex Pereira is stepping inside the cage. They’ve faced each other on four occasions in various rule sets, and despite […]

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Israel Adesanya watched closely as UFC 307 went down this past weekend, where a former foe of his was back in action.

The former two-time middleweight champion is always able to offer unparalleled analysis when Alex Pereira is stepping inside the cage.

They’ve faced each other on four occasions in various rule sets, and despite his prior losses to “Poatan,” Adesanya is the only man to beat him in the UFC.

Via the reactions video on his YouTube channel, FREESTYLEBENDER, fans got the chance to watch “The Last Stylebender” enjoy a fun fight and devastating performance from Pereira to cap off the night.

Israel Adesanya Reacts To Alex Pereira’s Ruthless Display At UFC 307

Now that he’s not competing against him and they’re in different weight classes, Adesanya is able to join the ranks of all the fans that enjoy watching Pereira do what he does best.

Throughout his reaction, he constantly drew attention to things that Pereira is doing or thinking based on his experiences of fighting and studying “Poatan.”

Despite a strong start to the fight from the challenger, Adesanya believed that Pereira was only going to get stronger as the fight went on.

“Round two, if ‘Poatan’ gets past this or doesn’t get knock him out, I think he’ll be fine. Khalil is better early on… I think he has to. If not, ‘Poatan’ is gonna get those leg kicks going again.”

Adesanya also pointed out in-between rounds how well the champion is able to recover in tough fights, whispering about how he knows all too well about this.

“He’s a f****** demon bro. I felt it.”

The third round came to a close and the former champ made the call that Pereira was going to close out proceedings in the fourth round now that he had really found his groove in Salt Lake City.

“I can feel it, I can feel it. Now it’s gonna be ‘Chama’ time.”

Throughout the fourth round, Adesanya repeatedly called for Pereira to switch up his approach and target the body which he eventually did, ending the fight after a barrage of strikes that Rountree somehow withstood.

“Good on him, he lasted longer than I thought he would but at least someone else took him to the fourth round, shows how good Khalil is.”

Adesanya rounded out his thoughts on the fight by talking about what is in front of both Pereira and Rountree going forward.

“He’s got some hard fights in front of him but he’s that guy right now, he’s on… honestly, that’s how I called it but I thought it was going to be early but shout to Khalil ’cause heart. Fighting with a broke nose, f***** eye and intelligence not to blow his nose in the fight, respect and his stock goes up after this, so yeah, what a moment.”

Continue Reading VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Reacts To Former Rival Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Win at MMA News.

Khalil Rountree Reflects On Brutal Loss To Alex Pereira At UFC 307: ‘Didn’t Win The Title But I Grew’ 

Khalil Rountree had nothing but respect for victorious opponent Alex Pereira following their title fight at UFC 307 this past weekend. The pair headlined Saturday’s pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, battling for the right to exit the Delta Center as UFC light heavyweight champion. Defending king “Poatan” was heavily favored to do so, having already […]

Continue Reading Khalil Rountree Reflects On Brutal Loss To Alex Pereira At UFC 307: ‘Didn’t Win The Title But I Grew’  at MMA News.

Khalil Rountree had nothing but respect for victorious opponent Alex Pereira following their title fight at UFC 307 this past weekend.

The pair headlined Saturday’s pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, battling for the right to exit the Delta Center as UFC light heavyweight champion.

Defending king “Poatan” was heavily favored to do so, having already turned away threats to his reign from Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka this year. Rountree, though, turned out to be the Brazilian’s toughest test to date.

The challenger got off to a strong start, winning the opening two rounds on all three scorecards. But after getting on the board in round three, Pereira went to work in the fourth frame.

An onslaught of strikes left Rountree’s face swollen and bloodied, and Pereira was ultimately able to close the show in what marked his first taste of the championship rounds since capturing the middleweight crown almost two years ago.

Rountree Releases First Statement On UFC 307 Title Defeat

Soon after having his title ambitions stalled in the “Beehive State,” Rountree took to social media to reflect on the result and experience.

Following his failure to unseat Pereira, “The War Horse” paid tribute to “Poatan,” thanking the Brazilian for bringing out a “new version” of him at UFC 307.

“I didn’t win the title but I grew last night. @alexpoatanpereira thanks for helping me see that I’m ready to take on the world,” Rountree wrote. “You showed amazing skill, you brought out a version of me that I needed to experience. You’re the champ for a reason, much respect. But I now know what I am capable of.

“#saltlakecity you guys were amazing and gave me such a memorable experience. I appreciate all of the positive messages from everyone around the world. @danawhite @espn @espnmma and the entire @ufc staff, thanks for giving me a home, a place to have purpose and providing me with challenges to overcome,” Rountree continued. “Brazil ?? you guys have a strong champion, be proud. I will take time to heal from this, I’ll be back even better, it’s inevitable. I’m grateful. Never give up on yourself, always fight hard, uplift your communities and find ways to make the most out of life.”

It remains to be seen what lies ahead for Rountree, who was granted his first shot at title glory on MMA’s biggest stage from #8 in the rankings.

With that, an upset win would have marked the 34-year-old as the lowest-ranked fighter to capture gold in their division. And although that didn’t come to fruition, things initially looked promising through 10 minutes.

Continue Reading Khalil Rountree Reflects On Brutal Loss To Alex Pereira At UFC 307: ‘Didn’t Win The Title But I Grew’  at MMA News.

Conor McGregor Wins Big with $1 Million Bet on UFC 307 Main Event KO Finish

Conor McGregor, Alex Pereira, Khalil Rountree Jr.UFC superstar Conor McGregor made a massive gamble on the UFC 307 main event between Alex Pereira and Khalil…

Conor McGregor, Alex Pereira, Khalil Rountree Jr.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor made a massive gamble on the UFC 307 main event between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr.

McGregor’s leap of faith paid off massively.

McGregor was supposed to make his UFC return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June. But, he withdrew from the event due to a toe injury, and his planned UFC comeback is indefinitely postponed.

As McGregor enjoys life away from the Octagon, he took in an eventful evening at UFC 307. Watching from afar, McGregor decided to place a $1 million wager on Pereira vs. Rountree ending inside the five-round distance.

Pereira vs. Rountree ended up being a bloody war for as long as the fight lasted. After Rountree gave Pereira some early-round troubles, Pereira put it on him in the later rounds, and eventually finished the action in Round 4.

McGregor, after winning the bet, took to social media to praise the UFC 307 main event fighters.

Conor McGregor banks big after Alex Pereira’s latest KO

Watch McGregor’s since-deleted video below.

“I AM PUTTING A MILLION U.S. DOWN ON A KO TAKING PLACE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER HERE IN THIS MAIN EVENT, @DuelbitsOdds are 1/5. A million wins back $200k. Let’s see…” McGregor said in a since-deleted tweet. (h/t talkSPORT)

McGregor then confirmed Pereira’s TKO win earned himself a $200k profit.

“$200k baby! THE RICH GET RICHER! Called it play by play! What a fighter, Poatan! Incredible!” McGregor said.

McGregor isn’t a stranger to placing massive wagers on fights. He’s bet big on boxing and MMA fights in recent years since his 2021 leg injury.

After securing a $200k profit, McGregor turns his attention to following up on a combat sports comeback. In the meantime, he continues to enjoy life away from the combat spotlight.

Alex Pereira TKOs Khalil Rountree in Bloody Brawl to Retain Light Heavyweight Title – UFC 307 Highlights

Alex Pereira TKOs Khalil Rountree in Bloody Brawl to Retain Light Heavyweight Title - UFC 307 HighlightsAlex Pereira did it again. Returning to the Octagon at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City for his third…

Alex Pereira TKOs Khalil Rountree in Bloody Brawl to Retain Light Heavyweight Title - UFC 307 Highlights

Alex Pereira did it again.

Returning to the Octagon at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City for his third title defense of 2024, ‘Poatan’ scored yet another highlight-reel knockout, though it didn’t come without a bit of adversity.

Alex Pereira

Squaring off with heavy-hitting contender Khalil Rountree, Pereira showed his opponent the proper respect throughout the first three rounds and even found himself on the wrong side of a few stinging shots and a near knockdown. However, it was just a matter of time before the Pereira took over. That moment came in the fourth round as he began to batter and bloody ‘The War Horse’ with a series of methodical strikes.

With 30 seconds to go in the penultimate round, Pereira unleashed a flurry of strikes against the fence that finally sent Rountree crashing to the canvas. With his face already busted up and his lead leg compromised from a slew of calf kicks, referee Marc Goddard had finally seen enough, calling for the TKO stoppage.

Alex Pereira

Official Result: Alex Pereira def. Khalil Rountree via TKO (strikes) at 4:34 of Round 4.

Check out highlights from Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree at UFC 307:

‘That Is A Terrifying Man’ – Fans React As Alex Pereira Comes From Behind To Mangle Khalil Rountree With Strikes At UFC 307

Khalil Rountree brought a challenge, but Alex Pereira managed to bring out another legendary performance — comeback style this time — as he finished the challenger to retain the UFC light heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 307. Rountree got off to a strong start with his activity, landing singular shots and doing […]

Continue Reading ‘That Is A Terrifying Man’ – Fans React As Alex Pereira Comes From Behind To Mangle Khalil Rountree With Strikes At UFC 307 at MMA News.

Khalil Rountree brought a challenge, but Alex Pereira managed to bring out another legendary performance — comeback style this time — as he finished the challenger to retain the UFC light heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 307.

Rountree got off to a strong start with his activity, landing singular shots and doing a good job of getting away from the fence. Pereira was doing work with leg kicks, but he found himself in some trouble in the second round. “The War Horse” rocked “Poatan” with a strong right hook and followed that up by landing a big head kick.

Rountree, however, appeared to be gassed by this point. Pereira, sensing a tired out foe, picked things back up in the third frame. The Brazilian worked his jab and landed combinations, finding openings and busting up Rountree’s nose.

Pereira’s output increased greatly in the fourth round, as he poured it on and continued to damage his challenger — to the point his nose may have been broken.

“The War Horse” tried to survive, but with blood pouring down his rocked body, Pereira landed a combination with a pair of body shots that dropped him, bringing the fight to a stop.

Alex Pereira Puts On Battering To Finish Khalil Rountree In Fourth Round At UFC 307

Moving up to light heavyweight last year after his middleweight title run came to an end, Pereira captured the then-vacant championship with a win over Ji?í Procházka at UFC 295. He then defended the title this year against Jamahal Hill and Procházka at UFC 300 and 303, respectively.

Rountree, meanwhile, entered his first title challenge on a five-fight win streak. He had most recently fought in December, scoring a finish of Anthony Smith.

Continue Reading ‘That Is A Terrifying Man’ – Fans React As Alex Pereira Comes From Behind To Mangle Khalil Rountree With Strikes At UFC 307 at MMA News.