Khalil Rountree Jr. had the opportunity of a lifetime in his UFC 307 title clash against then-light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. After all, ‘Poatan’ was the biggest star in the sport at that point in time, and ‘War Horse’ was ranked #8 in the division and nowhere near the top. To make things even more bizarre, Rountree Jr. was just coming off a suspension for taking a banned substance, which he claimed to have accidentally taken and voluntarily reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

While most felt that the American didn’t quite deserve a title shot against Pereira, the UFC felt differently. Indeed, ‘War Horse’, with his relentless offensive style of fighting, did manage to give the Brazilian a fair bit of trouble in the first couple of rounds. The former kickboxer made ‘Poatan’ uncomfortable with his explosiveness and offensive output, and even won the first two rounds in their title bout.

Some even think he could have seriously hurt the Brazilian if he had kept to the center of the Octagon longer. In the end, Pereira knocked out an exhausted, bloodied, and battered Rountree in the fourth round, but the American has learned a few lessons and has made changes in his game and corner to make sure he can beat Pereira or any other high-level opponent in his upcoming fights.

“I always try to think that there’s like there’s always room for improvement, no matter what. And so, a few of the things I felt like I could have improved in– my strength [and] I think I could have had an extra ear in my corner to let me know moments when my opponent was hurt that I could have capitalized on, and I think just a little bit more support,” Rountree Jr. said in a video on his official YouTube channel.

“So right after the fight, that’s immediately what I went after– I was thinking, okay, where can I find more support and how can I get stronger. I addressed the strength with my number one guy… and as far as having an extra eye and ear in the cage… we finally came down to reaching out to Chris Nolles… it clicked with him and it just ended up working out the right way,” he added.

The aftermath of the Pereira fight was brutal, as Rountree Jr. had to undergo a septoplasty surgery owing to a deviated nasal septum during his slugfest. However, his heroics were praised by Dana White and even Pereira after the bout. It is safe to say that the former title challenger will be looking to make a comeback with a bang. And whether or not these corner changes work out well for Rountree Jr. would be clear in a pretty short time.

Khalil Rountree Jr. set to take on Jamahal Hill in an electrifying matchup

Khalil Rountree Jr. was set to fight former 205-pound champion Jamahal Hill at UFC 303 last June. However, the fight was cancelled. This was since ‘War Horse’ was forced to pull out because he was under suspension for accidentally ingesting a banned substance, which we have already discussed. But now, with both Rountree Jr. and Hill coming off stoppage losses, the UFC has once again made this bout official.

The duo is set to headline the upcoming UFC Baku card on June 21, 2025. And what a matchup it is. Both ‘Sweet Dreams’ and ‘War Horse’ are known for their heavy hands and bar brawler, throw-everything-at-the-sink fighting style. A clash between the two would almost definitely be a strike-fest which will end in a knockout.

Not to mention, the light heavyweight division doesn’t have many title contenders at the moment. So whoever wins would find themself in the title picture, they are unlikely to get a title shot right away after the win, but they would be one, or at most, two good wins away from fighting for the title. A striking extravaganza between two knockout artists, with the result having title implications? Well, that is the type of matchup fans dream of. What do you think about Khalil Rountree’s comments about his loss to Alex Pereira?