Last October at UFC 307, Alex Pereira successfully defended his light heavyweight title for the third time this year when he finished Khalil Rountree Jr in the fourth round.
Heading into their UFC 307 main event, there was a lot of controversy as many believed that Khalil Rountree Jr. didn't quite deserve his surprise title shot.
Alex Pereira had already saved the promotion twice earlier this year at both UFC 300 and UFC 303 and took his chance to become the most active champion in 2024 with a third fight.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Khalil Rountree Jr admits he was happy after his loss to Alex Pereira
Prior to his fight against 'Poatan', Rountree Jr. a small problem when he was in the locker room, right before walking out for the biggest fight of his life.
'War Horse' remembers being extremely relaxed and not knowing if that was a good thing or not, and asked his coach for his guidance.
“I was so relaxed in the locker room that I asked my coach: 'I'm very relaxed, is that okay?' and he said, 'Yes, it's perfect,'” Rountree Jr. said. to Fight Energy Film.
There was a broad sense of surprise in the opening rounds of the fight as the challenger took the fight to the Brazilian champion, gaining the upper hand over 'Poatan' and leading the exchanges.
Despite this, from round three Pereira started to show why he is one of the most feared champions in the sport and started to take over the fight.
But now, a few months away from the fight, Rountree Jr has admitted that despite losing, he felt surprisingly happy after the fight as it showed him he is one of the best.
“When I was in the cage and he walked out, all I could really remember was just being happy. Even when I finished in the fourth round, I felt so happy during that whole fight, I felt like I belonged, I felt like I belonged there. It really was like living in a dream,” he continued.
Since his loss, Rountree Jr has taken it well and has even gained more fans with some of his hilarious skits on social media.
Who will Alex Pereira fight next?
Many consider the 37-year-old champion to be the 2024 Fighter of the Year, and he will be hoping to repeat his success in the new year.
His next title defense was apparently set to take place against light heavyweight number one contender, Magomed Ankalaev, but 'Poatan' recently suggested the Russian would not be next.
Then rumors started circulating that fellow star, Khamzat Chimaev, could make a move up to 205 pounds to face the Brazilian next.
That rumor arose after the UFC announced that Dricus Du Plessis would defend his title in a rematch against Sean Strickland, instead of taking on 'Borz'.
Related posts
Comments