The UFC 307 event is still some time away, but excitement among fans and MMA analysts is reaching its peak, especially for the headline title fight. The bout features light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira against #8 ranked contender Khalil Rountree Jr., who is coming off multiple setbacks due to unintentionally ingesting a banned substance mixed in his supplement. The anticipation is growing as MMA analysts speculate on how Rountree plans to defeat Alex Pereira in the biggest fight of his career. In a recent interview, Rountree expressed his determination to overcome any obstacle, even if it means changing his coach, to defeat ‘Poatan’.

After leaving his kickboxing career behind in 2021 to join MMA, Alex Pereira has almost conquered everyone who came his way to become a dual UFC champion. However, there is one lingering question for fans: when will we see ‘Poatan’ face a grappler? In a recent interview with UFC veteran Michael Bisping, Khalil Rountree was asked about a hypothetical situation where his coach suggested, “Let’s grab that single leg. We saw the takedown defense and grappling against Israel Adesanya; maybe it wasn’t best, so let’s expose that as well.” In response, Rountree Jr. coldly replied, ” If it were my coach, I’d say maybe I need to look into getting another coach.”

Bisping was shocked by Rountree Jr.’s direct response and couldn’t believe it. He responded, “Wow, really?” In response, Khalil Rountree Jr. explained why he might consider changing his coach emphasizing his Muay Thai background, “Yeah, wo. I mean, it doesn’t make sense. I am not a wrestler. Yes, I’m a mixed martial artist and able to do a lot of different things.”

While many anticipate that Alex Pereira’s weakness might be grappling or wrestling, Kayla Harrison disagress. In a recent interview, Harrison disclosed that she was impressed by Pereira’s judo skills when they last practiced together on the mats.

Kayla Harrison praised Alex Pereira

Those who judge Alex Pereira based on his striking background and assume he can’t grapple might be in for a surprise. Pereira, known for his striking, has been training with Kayla Harrison, which led her to award him a yellow belt after his win against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303.

In a recent interview with MMAFighting.com, Harrison discussed ‘Poatan’s’ grappling skills, noting while a yellow belt seems trivial, Pereira is a quick learner. “A yellow belt is a joke, obviously,” Harrison said. “You don’t normally give adults yellow belts, so that was part of it. … And to be fair to him, he was showing me the videos of him training and he was kicking [ass]. I wish that he would release this one, oh my God — he did the move I taught him and then he did the move you do if the move doesn’t work.”

What are your thoughts on Khalil Rountree Jr’s stubbornness to refrain from practicing grappling and relying more on his striking skills? As evidenced in the past, many top strikers like Israel Adesanya and Jiri Prochazka have struggled against Alex Pereira. Drop your comments below.