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 Jiří 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.
- Read More: Stephen Thompson Releases First Statement After Knockout Loss To Joaquin Buckley At UFC 307
