5 Defining Moments: Khalil Rountree

Khalil Rountree was made for the dog-eat-dog world of the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.

“The War Horse” will look to improve his standing in the 205-pound weight class when he locks horns with former champion Jamahal Hill in the UFC on ABC 8 main event on June 21 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The two men were originally scheduled to meet in April before a leg injury forced Hill to withdraw. Rountree, 35, has compiled a 9-6 record with one no contest across his 16 appearances inside the Octagon. Seven of those nine victories have resulted in finishes.

As Rountree approaches his high-stakes confrontation with Hill overseas, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define him:

1. ‘TUF’ Sledding

Andrew Sanchez cruised to a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Rountree when their light heavyweight final co-headlined “The Ultimate Fighter 23” Finale on July 8, 2016 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Scores were 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26. Sanchez struck for repeated takedowns, applied his ground-and-pound and established his superiority in top position. Rountree failed to stay on his feet for any extended period of time, as he was lured into clinches and forced to defend one takedown after another. He did almost nothing notable from an offensive standpoint in the second and third rounds. By the time it was over, Sanchez had built a 118-58 advantage in total strikes.

2. Establishing a High Ceiling

Vicious leg kicks and clean power punches spurred Rountree to a lopsided unanimous decision over ex-University of Alabama linebacker Eryk Anders in a UFC 236 light heavyweight attraction on April 13, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. All three cageside judges scored it 30-26. Anders was under fire from the start. Rountree tenderized the inside of his lead leg throughout the first round, turned him into a stationary target and unleashed his hands. He knocked down Anders four times in Round 2, where referee Jason Herzog appeared to be on the verge of calling for the stoppage on more than one occasion. Unable to score the finish and showing signs of fatigue, Rountree eased off the gas over the final five minutes but nevertheless strung together punches and continued to hammer the inside and outside of the former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion’s already-compromised leg.

3. Soft Target

Rountree rebounded from back-to-back losses to Ion Cutelaba and Marcin Prachnio, as he took out Modestas Bukauskas with a crippling kick to the knee in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 191 light heavyweight attraction on Sept. 4, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The end came 2:30 into Round 2. Rountree raced out to a hyperaggressive start and repositioned the Gintas Combat rep’s nose with a series of left hooks in the first round. Midway through the middle stanza, he sent a stomping side kick crashing into Bukauskas’ planted lead leg. The result was immediate and devastating, as the Lithuanian collapsed downward—his knee appeared to explode inward—in audible and visible distress. He was removed from the cage on a stretcher and did not compete again for more than a year.

4. A Matter of Contention

Syndicate MMA’s Rountree cut down Anthony Smith with punches in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 233 light heavyweight co-main event on Dec. 9, 2023 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Referee Mark Smith waved it off 56 seconds into Round 3. Rountree dialed up lightning-quick punches from both hands, mixed in kicks when the situation called for it and more than held his own in the clinch. He walked the aggressive Smith into his jab over and over again, wobbled him with a counter right hook in the second round and made sure to leave his imprint on the match. Rountree cut loose with a right uppercut early in Round 3 and backed it up with a sweeping left hook. The concussive force of the blows put Smith on skates and sent him tumbling backward into a defenseless position, prompting the stoppage.

5. Another Level

Alex Pereira retained his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title when he stopped Rountree with a hailstorm of punches in the fourth round of their UFC 307 headliner on Oct. 5, 2024 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The Brazilian juggernaut brought it to a close 4:32 into Round 4. Rountree held his own—for a time. He buckled Pereira’s knees with a counter right hand in the second round and fought fire with fire against one of the most feared men in the sport. However, the high work rate and the damage he absorbed took their toll, and by the end of the third round, the tide had shifted. Pereira tore into the Los Angeles native with clean punches to the head, low kicks and knee strikes, opened multiple cuts and showered the canvas and surrounding area with blood. His final burst of offense was utterly breathtaking. Pereira ripped the body with hooks from both hands, then buried “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 23 finalist with a slashing right uppercut.