Khalil Rountree Jr. Archives - Cageside Press

Ankalaev vs. Rountree Jr. And Nurmagomedov vs. Martinez Added To UFC Abu Dhabi

Eddie Law — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:55:32 +0000

The UFC added a pair of massive fights to Abu Dhabi this summer as former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev defends his title against knockout artist Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event, while former bantamweight title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov takes on surging prospect David Martinez in the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi.

The UFC announced the bouts on social media on Monday.

Ankalaev (21-2-1) will step into the octagon for the first time since dropping his title against former champion Alex Pereira at UFC 320 last October. The #1 ranked 205er looks for a quick return to the title with a victory over Rountree Jr in Abu Dhabi.

Rountree Jr (14-7) fought at UFC 320 as well losing a wild fight against Jiri Prochazka. A former title challenger himself Rountree Jr looks for another shot at the belt with a win over the former champion in Ankalaev.

In the co-main event Nurmagomedov (20-1) looks to make it three victories in a row after suffering the first loss of his career against then champion Merab Dvalishvili in his sole UFC title opportunity last January. After dominant victories over Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo he’ll try to stop rising prospect Martinez as he tries to keep his footing in a stacked bantamweight division.

Martinez (14-1) surprised many after stacking three consecutive victories after earning a UFC contract at DWCS in 2024. Wins over Saimon Oliveira, Rob Font and Marlon Vera scored him a date with a former title challenger in Abu Dhabi.

UFC Abu Dhabi takes place on July 25 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, at the Etihad Arena. The card, as of now, is as follows:

#1 Magomed Ankalaev vs. #5 Khalil Rountree Jr
#2 Umar Nurmagomedov vs. #9 David Martinez
#13 Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen
Rizvan Kuriev vs. Tyrell Fortune
Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov
Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sosa
Brendson Ribeiro vs. Magomed Tuchalov
Magomedrasul Gasanov vs. Abubakar Vagaev
Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman

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Khalil Rountree Jr. Says “We’re All Kind of Screwed” If Chimaev Moves to 205

Gabriel Gonzalez and Jay Anderson — Fri, 01 May 2026 20:26:07 +0000

Former light heavyweight title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. has been helping middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev prepare for his UFC 328 title fight against Sean Strickland, and that has given him a bird’s eye view of the champ’s work ethic.

With Chimaev bringing an entire team with him to train stateside, Rountree told Cageside Press and other media outlets on Thursday that “I’ve never seen such a well-put together group. Very organized, very structured, very hard-working.”

“I got to see Khamzat as a leader. He’s not just responsible for himself, but he makes sure the team is taken care of and everybody gets the same type of training and recovery as he does. So that’s very cool.”

Rountree, a dangerous striker in the 205lb weight class, had high praise for the middleweight champ. “There’s no doubt about it in my mind, he’s one of the best on the planet.”

Of course, Chimaev has been teasing an eventual move to light heavyweight himself. That has Routree feeling “many different ways,” he admitted. “When I first heard the news, I was a bit bummed out really. Just to know that a guy like Khamzat would come to the division, and that could be a potential match-up if that happened, it doesn’t make me happy to be think about that.”

Part of that is Rountree’s belief that Chimaev is one of the best in the world. Beyond that, “no one gets an easy round with Khamzat. It doesn’t matter what weight class, what size,” he added. “So that was my initial thoughts of like, if he made the move up, we’re all kind of screwed.”

It’s not a matter of cleaning out the division, Rountree later clarified. The top of the division is simply full of winnable fights for the middleweight star.

“Being able to clean something out, yeah it takes a lot of work. But I think if he were to be placed in the top five right now, there’s not an easy fight for any of us up there if it were Khamzat Chimaev. Like when it comes to all of us being heavy in striking primarily in the top five, then he’s going to find a way around it. And then if we just try to up our wrestling to match with him, we’ll get outmatched.”

“It’s not a clear sweep for him, but it’s not an easy challenge for the guys of the top five if he chose to go up there,” Rountree finished.

Watch Thursday’s full media scrum with Khalil Rountree Jr. above.

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What’s Next: UFC 320 Losers

Bryson Hester — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:43:51 +0000

UFC 320 boasted two exciting title fights on its five-fight main and 14-fight total card. Four of the five fights on the main card ended with a finish. In the main event, Magomed Ankalaev lost his light heavyweight title when he was quickly defeated by Alex Pereira. In the co-main event, Cory Sandhagen was unsuccessful in his attempt to dethrone UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. The people’s main event featured a Fight of the Night-winning show as Jiri Prochazka rallied late and stopped Khalil Rountree Jr in the final round. Lots of ranked fighters to matchup this week on this PPV edition of losers matchmaker.

Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira took just 80 seconds to stop Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 320 for the UFC light heavyweight title. Alex entered the fight ranked at #1 so Ank won’t fall far. An immediate rematch is unlikely after the definitive finish, but Magomed could reasonably expect a rematch after one, maximum two, victories (Yes, even though Ankalaev is 12-2-1, 1 NC in the UFC).

A good next matchup for Magomed would either be Khalil Rountree Jr or a rematch with Jan Blachowicz. Khalil had an excellent fight on UFC 320 and even though he was finished, his stock rose. A high-action bout against yet another striking-specialist could do a lot for Magomed especially if he could get the win. Rountree is currently ranked at #4 so it wouldn’t be that bad of a fall either, rankings-wise. Also, the timing would matchup as both fighters were finished, on the same night, though it’s worth noting Khalil sustained more damage.

Magomed could also take on Jan Blachowicz who he fought to split draw in December of 2022. It’s a rematch that would do a lot of heavy lifting for the top of the rankings at 205lbs. Jan hasn’t won since that fight, losing to Alex Pereira then Carlos Ulberg in March. But he’s still ranked at #5 in the division. A rematch would be warranted at this point as 42 year-old Jan is still a fan favorite. Either matchup could easily be a main event of a fight night card and with a finish, could produce a title shot.

Magomed’s next fight: Khalil Rountree Jr or Jan Blachowicz

Cory Sandhagen

Merab Dvalishvili defended his belt Saturday with his five round decision win over title challenger Cory Sandhagen in UFC 320’s co-main event. Cory entered the fight with a #4 ranking next to his name.

If Sean O’Malley doesn’t get booked for a rematch with top-ranked Petr Yan, that’d be a sweet fight. The two lengthy guys of the division. Cory is 5’11” with a 70″ reach while O’Malley is 5’11” with a 72″ reach. That’s a very interesting matchup that would make a lot of fight fans tune in to watch. Sandhagen is now 11-5 with the UFC and O’Malley is 10-3 with 1 NC. Sean is coming off of two consecutive losses to Merab Dvalishvili, the most recent a third-round submission back in June. They also share a common recent outcome against Marlon Vera of a decision victory. If UFC brass chooses to go this direction, it would be an absolutely massive fight. Easily a main event of a fight night of a co main/people’s main of a pay-per-view card.

Cory’s next fight: Sean O’Malley

Khalil Rountree Jr

Jiri Prochazka stopped Khalil Rountree Jr late in the pair’s fight of the night winning scrap on the main card of UFC 320 Saturday. Khalil entered the fight ranked at #4 while his opponent was ranked at #2. Devastating loss for Rountree, but he had a good showing.

For his next fight, a matchup against Magomed Ankalaev would keep him right in the mix of the top of the division. That is also a very winnable fight for Khalil, depending on which version of the Muay Thai specialist shows up on fight night. And as previously mentioned, the timing matches up. Blachowicz is also a good back up option for Khalil as Jan is ranked at #5 in the division and they’ve never scrapped. Though Blachowicz fights a tad more conservatively nowadays, a matchup like this has loss-of-consciousness written all over it.

Again, either matchup could be a co main or main event of a fight night card, or on the main card of a PPV card. Winner would be a fight or two away from a title shot.

Khalil’s next fight: Magomed Ankalaev or Jan Blachowicz

Josh Emmett

Josh Emmett was quickly submitted by Youssef Zalal on the main card of UFC 320 Saturday. Emmett entered the fight ranked at #8 in the featherweight division while his opponent was ranked at #9. Emmett has now lost three of his last four fights, he’s 10-6 with the promotion.

Good next fight for Josh would be against Giga Chikadze. Giga is currently just rounding out the featherweight rankings at #15. Despite missing weight in his last fight back in April, Giga would make an excellent matchup for Emmett. He’s also lost three of his last four fights. Giga was scheduled to fight Josh nearly two years ago but withdrew from the bout. Since that fight cancellation, Giga has lost to Arnold Allen and David Onama. Since the cancellation, Josh KO’d a now bantamweight (Bryce Mitchell), lost to Leron Murphy and was just finished by Zalal. Fight makes a lot of sense right now. Might not materialize, but this would be the best matchup for a 40-year-old Emmett to remain relevant to the elites of the division.

Josh’s next fight: Giga Chikadze

Abus Magomedov

Joe Pyfer submitted Abus Magomedov in the second round of their fight to open up the main card of UFC 320. The loss snapped a 3-fight win streak for Abus who hadn’t lost in nearly two years. Magomedov is now 4-3 with the UFC since being signed in 2022. Despite having not lost in two years, Abus slipped out of the rankings prior to his loss on Saturday.

Obviously, Magomedov needs to gain some clout and respect within the division. He’s 4-3 within the promotion with his losses coming to big names like Sean Strickland, Caio Borralho, and now Joe Pyfer. A fight against Edmen Shahbazyan would give him a tenured name that is fresh off a finish. But at the same time still an incredibly reasonable matchup for the KSW and PFL veteran. Shahbazyan stopped Andre Muniz in the first round of their bout on the undercard of UFC 320 on Saturday. Edmen is now 9-5 within the UFC and is riding a three-fight winning streak after a very rough stretch. Good feature prelim type of fight for a PPV or co-main for a Fight Night.

Abus’s next fight: Edmen Shahbazyan

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UFC 320 Sees Extra Bonus Awarded as Prochazka Doubles Up

Staff — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 06:10:31 +0000

Whatever you’ve thought of the UFC’s recent slate of events (some of which have been rather thin as the promotion limps towards the end of its broadcast deal with ESPN), Saturday marked a return to form care of UFC 320 in Las Vegas.

A very solid Pay-Per-View offering brimming with star power, the card lived up to expectations and then some. So it was no surprise to see a little extra bonus money thrown around, though four fighters still collected that cash in the end.

Fight of the Night went to the main card light heavyweight showdown between Jiri Prochazka, the former 205lb champ, and Khalil Rountree Jr., who roughly a year ago fought Alex Pereira for that very title. Rountree, with sharper striking, was solidly up two rounds to nil in the fight, only for Prochazka to storm back in the third. Lighting Rountree up every which way, Prochazka unleashed knees, elbows, body shots, lefts, and rights before finally toppling the American.

For Prochazka, who is now in the hunt for a title shot, the win didn’t just see him earn Fight of the Night, but a Performance of the Night bonus as well — $100,000 in bonus money.

Alex Pereira, who reclaimed his 205lb title in a dominant stoppage of Magomed Ankalaev unscored by nasty 12-6 elbows (now legal), earned one of the remaining Performance of the Night bonuses. Joe Pyfer, who submitted Abus Magomedov to kick off the UFC 320 main card, pocketed the other.

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UFC 320: Jiri Prochazka Storms Back, Stops Khalil Rountree Jr in Third

Staff — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 03:30:33 +0000

Former light heavyweight champ Jiri Prochazka faced off with an ex-205lb title challenger in Khalil Rountree Jr. on the UFC 320 main card, a fight that would send one man closer to the top of the pack in the weight class.

While Carlos Ulberg had made a statement and might very well be facing the winner of Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2, the winner of Prochazka vs. Rountree would no doubt be close.

The first exchange saw Prochazka fire a kick, and Rountree return fire, a punch sailing over the ex-champ’s dome. Rountree’s every shot was accompanied by blistering power, including a left hand that hit the mark. Rountree also targeted the body, while Prochazka’s offense was mostly limited to body kicks while he worked to find his openings.

Prochazka would launch a jump knee in the final two minutes, but Rountree countered and did more damage with his left hand. A high kick from Rountree was blocked, but still made an impact. Rountree finished the opening round firing off a combo, and had almost certainly won the frame.

Round two saw Prochazka looking gunshy, standing in front of Khalil but throwing little of note. Prochazka finally moved in to fire off a combination, but wound up out of position. Jiri’s jab flashed, and his kicks were still there, but his offense was limited in comparison to Rountree Jr. And Rountree began to add leg kicks — bad news for Prochazka, whose movement had looked off even before any low kicks had landed. As the round wore on, Prochazka seemed to tire a little, not putting much behind any of his strikes.

Jiri Prochazka almost certainly needed a finish in round three, and early on, took the fight to Rountree. Under fire, Rountree was able to counter, swinging with wild lefts and rights. The firefight that ensued was exactly what fans had hoped for. Jiri pressed, and Rountree was suddenly retreating, his eye showing considerable damage. Prochazka, after two listless rounds, couldn’t seem to miss. A knee landed for Prochazka. Rountree was tiring, but managed to reverse the position, getting Jiri in a headlock. Rountree landed an elbow up top, but Jiri landed his own! A spinning elbow followed. Shots to the body. Prochazka backed Rountree up to the fence, and unloaded, a few more punches toppling a bloodied Rountree!

The come-from-behind victory for Jiri Prochazka, in a fight he was trailing in, is yet another reminded that the Czech former champ is always dangerous. And now, back in title contention, suggesting that a title shot might even be next.

Official Result: Jiri Prochazka def. Khalil Rountree Jr. by KO, Round 3, 3:04

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Jiri Prochazka Eyes Title Run Ahead Of UFC 320 Showdown with Khalil Rountree Jr.

Gabriel Gonzalez and Eddie Law — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 02:55:43 +0000

Former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka returns to the octagon this Saturday at UFC 320, where he’ll face surging contender Khalil Rountree Jr. in a matchup that could shake up the division’s title picture.

Prochazka (31-5-1) enters UFC 320 confident that his unique style and experience set him apart from Rountree Jr. Still, the former champion emphasized he isn’t underestimating his opponent, preparing instead for the best version possible on fight night.

“Just yesterday I just saw some past opponents of mine and Khalil. I said to myself man he didn’t face somebody like me,” Prochazka told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“This can be my advantage, but I’m not betting for this. In the end, doesn’t matter, I count with the best version of Khalil. This is for what I am prepared.”

While Prochazka’s focus is firmly on Khalil Rountree Jr. this Saturday, another potential challenger may already be looming. #3 ranked Carlos Ulberg made waves with his highlight-reel knockout of Dominick Reyes at UFC Perth last weekend.

If Ulberg doesn’t land a title shot from that performance, a matchup with Prochazka could be on deck, though the former champion noted that Ulberg already passed on an opportunity to face him.

“I really don’t care what he wants. I want to, right now, go through Khalil and go for the title,” he said.

“That’s all what I can say. He already had the chance to face me and I wanted to go to Australia to fight him. He declined that so what I can say? Right now biggest challenge is every time to be the champion. Every time.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Jiri Prochazka above. He faces Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 320 on Saturday night.

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Khalil Rountree Jr. Ready for Chaos, But Not Seeking War Against Jiri Prochazka

Gabriel Gonzalez and Eddie Law — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 02:33:42 +0000

Fresh off the biggest win streak of his career, Khalil Rountree Jr. will step into the spotlight this Saturday at UFC 320, taking on former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka in a high-stakes clash with major title implications.

Rountree Jr. (14-6) kept his assessment of Jiri Prochazka straightforward ahead of their UFC 320 showdown. He acknowledged both the excitement of the matchup and the challenges that come with facing such an unpredictable opponent.

“Big fight. Big fight. Strong competitor. Great matchup, exciting matchup,” Rountree Jr. told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“I see methods to the badness, but it doesn’t take away the fact that yeah he can be very unpredictable.”

Fans are anticipating fireworks when Prochazka steps in, with many expecting a finish one way or the other. Still, there’s always the chance this turns into a grueling war, much like Rountree Jr’s battle with Alex Pereira at UFC 307.

Rountree Jr. says he’s prepared for that kind of fight, but he’s certainly not seeking it.

“I hope not,” he said with a laugh.

“I’m ready for whatever. Honestly, everything right now is light-hearted, but like I’m prepared for whatever. I think that after that Alex fight I proved to myself how far I can go and how far I’m willing to go if the fight goes there.”

While Rountree Jr. is prepared for the chaos that often comes with a Prochazka fight, he made it clear he isn’t chasing one. Instead, he stressed that he’ll be ready if the bout turns into a brutal war, but it’s not what he’s hoping for.

“Am I praying for this like violent, bloody match? Absolutely not,” said Rountree Jr.

“If it goes there, it goes there. Can it go there? Absolutely, and I’m prepared.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Khalil Rountree Jr. above. He faces Jiri Prochazka at UFC 320 on Saturday night.

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UFC 320 Gets Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2, Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen

Eddie Law — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 22:58:37 +0000

UFC 320 goes down Oct. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a pair of title fights and a banger of a light-heavyweight bout.

Dana White made the announcement on social media on Tuesday evening.

Headlining UFC 320 will be the light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev who has not lost in 7 years in a rematch against the former 205 king Alex Pereira. The two squared up at UFC 313 in March. Ankalaev dethroned ‘Poatan’ via decision and right away announced he’d be willing to give Pereira a rematch right away.

Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will face Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event that night coming off his title defense over Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 in June.

Sandhagen is coming off a headline victory in Iowa over former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo.

Light heavyweights Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree get a spot on the main card in a battle of 205 heavy-hitters. Prochazka makes his return to the octagon following a TKO victory over Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 in January.

Rountree got back into the win column with a decision victory over Jamahal Hill at UFC Baku in June. ‘The War Horse’ previously lost to Alex Pereira in his first title challenge at UFC 307.

October in Las Vegas is looking like a banger for combat sports.

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What’s Next: UFC Baku Winners

Mathis Desjardins — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 23:36:45 +0000

The UFC’s first ever trip Azerbaijan was a success. The card saw some standout finishes from Myktybek Orolbai and Nazim Sadykhov, as well as very fun main and co-main events as Khalil Rountree Jr. and Rafael Fiziev both got their hands raised. With UFC Baku now in the books, let’s look at who the winners should face next.

Khalil Rountree Jr.

Khalil Rountree Jr. said he unlocked newfound confidence in himself after his admirable showing in his title fight against Alex Pereira last fall. As he was facing another former champion in Jamahal Hill, Khalil put on a striking clinic, earning a wide unanimous decision. He destroyed Hill’s base with leg kicks, which took away Hill’s ability to generate power. Once the danger coming back was lessened, Khalil then started firing combinations up top and knocked Hill down multiple times on his way to the best win of his career.

After he defeated Jan Blachowicz in March, I thought Carlos Ulberg was almost guaranteed to face Jiri Prochazka next. But we are now in June and nothing has been announced on that front. This is a case where fighting styles might determine which direction the promotion goes. Ulberg’s more point-fighting approach could cost him the Prochazka fight since the idea of Prochazka clashing with Rountree Jr.’s style sounds a lot more appealing.

Rountree Jr.’s next fight: Jiri Prochazka

Rafael Fiziev

He had to wait a long time, but “Ataman” finally got his hand raised again. Only three months removed from his war with Justin Gaethje in March, Fiziev this time had to deal with the surging youngster Ignacio Bahamondes in the UFC Baku co-main event. Despite the gigantic height and reach disadvantages, Fiziev earned 30-27s on all three scorecards.

A Mateusz Gamrot rematch or a fight with Benoit Saint Denis are both fine options, but I’m more intrigued in Gamrot fighting the Frenchman. Dan Hooker is also a very fun option, but I still think there’s a chance they simply re-book the Gaethje fight. I believe Fiziev’s next opponent will come from this from upcoming weekend’s fight between Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano. Fiziev is in a good spot to face the winner of that bout.

Fiziev’s next fight: Dariush/Moicano winner

Curtis Blaydes

This fight was originally scheduled for February, but after multiple delays, Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev finally faced off inside the octagon this weekend. Blaydes did get back in the win column, but he didn’t exactly do it via an awe-inspiring performance. He got teed off on on multiple occasions during the fight and narrowly escaped with a split decision. Bouncing back after his quick KO loss to Tom Aspinall last summer was key, but Blaydes will need a better showing than this if he wants to insert himself back in the title picture. Fellow veteran of the game Marcin Tybura is ranked only three spots below Blaydes and has won back-to-back fights. He seems like a prime candidate to face him next.

Blaydes’ next fight: Marcin Tybura

Myktybek Orolbai

The 27-year-old prospect earned a nice submission victory over a very well-respected veteran in Tofiq Musayev, in the latter’s promotional debut at UFC Baku. He might have been making his promotional debut, but hardcore fans know how good Musayev is, so this makes Orolbai’s win all the more impressive coming off his war with Mateusz Rebecki last October.

Orolbai’s previous fight was at a catchweight of 160 lbs, this one was at 165 lbs. He did make the lightweight limit against Elves Brener, but back-to-back catchweight fights tells me it would probably be preferable for Orolbai to simply make the move to welterweight. There are a lot of feasible opponents for him at 170, but I went with Ramiz Brahimaj who is coming off a nasty guillotine choke finish of Billy Ray Goff last month.

Orolbai’s next fight: Ramiz Brahimaj

Nazim Sadykhov

Nazim Sadykhov got his second knockout win of 2025, this one over Nikolas Motta. From veterans like Nasrat Haqparast or Chris Padilla, to younger names like Charlie Campbell and Tom Nolan, the lightweight division isn’t lacking in names that “Black Wolf” could face. I landed on Manuel Torres, in part because I believe the timing could work for the Noche card in September. It’s also a matchup that would guarantee fireworks and would tell us a lot about which prospect to move up the ladder.

Sadykhov’s next fight: Manuel Torres

Muhammad Naimov

Naimov earned 29-28s across the board at UFC Baku to win his second consecutive fight since being upset by the then debuting Felipe Lima a year ago. Now 5-1 in the UFC, the fighter from Tajikistan seems just a couple good performances away from a shot at the rankings. A fighter in a similar position, who is also on a two-fight win streak, is the young Brazilian Gabriel Santos. Since dropping his first two fights to ranked contenders Lerone Murphy and David Onama, Santos has put on encouraging showings in the following two outings. This matchup would determine who gets to inch closer to a ranked name.

Naimov’s next fight: Gabriel Santos

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UFC Baku: Khalil Rountree Jr Shuts Down Ex-Champ Jamahal Hill

Jay Anderson — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 22:30:56 +0000

A former champion and a former challenger in the UFC light heavyweight division closed out the show at UFC Baku on Saturday, which served as the promotion’s debut in Azerbaijan.

Jamahal Hill, the former 205lb champ who had vacated his title due to injury, was looking to snap a two-fight skid in the bout, after being finished by both Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Khalil Rountree Jr. was on the other side of the main event equation, and looking to bounce back from his own loss to Pereira.

There was no glove touch to kick off the final fight of the evening at the Baku Crystal Hall, a fight that had been scheduled twice before. Instead, the pair had one last staredown, then met at center. Sort of. Rountree actually sauntered out at a slow pace, working in a bit of mental warfare and allowing Hill to meet him more than halfway across the cage.

Still, the opening minute saw little more than a strike thrown, with Hill finally opening up the action with a leg kick. Instead, it was feints and foot movement as the pair felt each other out. Rountree would eventually work in a leg kick or two of his own; his lead right was there also, connecting on Hill later in the frame. The pair started firing a little harder in the final two minutes of the first round; Rountree nearly took Hill off his feet with a particularly nasty calf kick. While both men were finding some success with their hands, Rountree appeared to be landing the harder leg kicks, though Hill might have technically landed more.

More leg kicks from Khalil Rountree Jr. arrived early in the second round. He mixed in a jab to the body; the next leg kick did trip up Hill. Hill was switching stances, but looked flatfooted in general. Hill did rip off a couple of kicks of his own, but again the answer from Rountree was harder, landing with far more authority. When he wasn’t bludgeoning Hill’s legs, Rountree was circling away from the former champ.

Entering the final minute of the second frame, Rountree slipped off a high kick, allowing Hill to catch him with a right hand on the way up. That, however, was the most success Hill had seen in the round. And once up, Rountree went right after his lead leg again.

Jamahal Hill had ice applied to his legs between rounds, and was switching stances early in the third. When he did move in, Rountree loaded up on an overhand that fanned. The issue for Hill was clearly one of mobility; he was moving awkwardly whenever the action picked up.

Another leg kick landed for Rountree; moments later, a left hand put Hill on his backside! Hill was right back up, but the visual was not a good one for “Sweet Dreams.” The pace in the back half of the third round had slowed, however. Rountree ripped the body with a kick, then went lower with a calf kick. The swelling on the side of Hill’s right calf muscle was nothing short of impressive. In the final minute, Rountree dropped Hill for a second time in the round, this time with a right hook. Hill limped back to his corner after the horn, unquestionably down in the fight.

Round four, for Hill, opened with two possibilities: At best, he was down 2-1, otherwise, he was looking at a goose egg, with Rountree winning all three. With no open scoring, Hill would have to work with the assumption that he needed a finish. Yet with his mobility hampered and Khalil landing some big shots, the odds weren’t exactly in Hill’s favor. Case in point, a two-punch combo, starting with a body shot, sent Hill reeling, almost knocking him down. Rountree picked things up again at round’s end, putting Hill on his heels.

The final round saw Hill, with certainty, needing a stoppage. Yet Rountree had yet to be truly rocked, and hadn’t even been hit all that much. In the opening minute, it was Rountree moving in on the attack, backing Hill up. Hill simply wasn’t putting combinations together, instead firing jabs, and only occasionally trailing them with anything. With the clock now becoming a factor, it was time for Jamahal Hill to pull the goalie and go on a full-fledged attack. Leg compromised, however, Hill appeared to struggle to close the distance, and when he did, he hand to contend with the nasty overhands Rountree was firing his way. Hill would stay in the fight to the end, but he never felt like he was really in the fight.

Official Result: Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Jamahal Hill by unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)

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