Khalil Rountree Responds to Criticism of Title Shot Booking Against Alex Pereira

By Martial Arts Videos August 17, 2024
Martial Arts News 26 total views, 0 today

Khalil
Rountree Jr. receiving a title shot did not sit well with some
other light heavyweight contenders.

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It was announced on Friday that Rountree will challenge Alex
Pereira for the 205-pound crown at UFC 307
on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Former
champs Jan
Blachowicz and Jamahal
Hill immediately took issue with the announcement.

Blachowicz believes the Pereira is receiving “special protection”
from the
UFC, which the Brazilian doesn’t need.

“With all due respect to Khalil but there are at least two higher
ranked contenders who are ready to fight Poatan,” Blachowicz wrote
on X. “He doesn’t need special protection.”

Meanwhile, Hill, who was scheduled to fight Rountree at UFC 303 in
June, brought up this would-be opponent’s anti-doping suspension.
Rountree was pulled from the Vegas card after accepting
responsibility for ingesting a banned substance through a
supplement before failing a drug test. “The War Horse” was
suspended for two months by the UFC, although he still remains
under suspension in Las Vegas. While Hill was later matched up
against Carlos
Ulberg, a knee injury forced the former champ out of that
contest. Regardless, Hill claims Rountree getting a gold bid after
a drug testing failure reflects poorly on the sport.

“Can’t believe what I just saw announced!!!” Hill wrote. “So a guy
pulls out of a contender fight because of failed drug test for a
banned substances and gets rewarded with a title shot?!! This is
terrible for the sport and makes the rankings completely
pointless!!!”

Responding to the criticism, Rountree claims if anyone isn’t
excited about his matchup against “Poatan,” perhaps they are the
problem.

“It doesn’t affect me,” Rountree told Kevin Iole. “I understand that [Hill] is upset
for his own personal reasons. It’s really none of my business what
he thinks or what anybody else thinks… I don’t think it’s terrible
for the sport; I think it’s amazing for the sport. I think the fans
are gonna be 100% hyped on this fight…I’m grateful for the UFC for
this opportunity. Everybody else whatever negative opinions, if
you’re anything but excited about this fight [with Pereira], maybe
you got the problem. I don’t think it’s the matchmakers or the
company. It’s like if you have a problem with this, I think the
problem is yours.”

Pereira has already beaten Blachowicz via split decision at UFC
291, and he knocked out Hill at UFC 300 this past June in his first
title defense. The Brazilian is fresh off a secon- knockout win
over Jiri
Prochazka at UFC 303 this past June. Meanwhile, Rountree is
riding a five-fight winning streak — including four finishes — and
comes off a knockout win over Anthony
Smith in December 2023.

Meanwhile, Magomed
Ankalaev, who was expected to be next in line for the title,
doesn’t want any sympathy. Unbeaten since an upset loss in his UFC
debut in 2018, Ankalaev was recently booked against Aleksandar
Rakic for UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi. The Dagestani plans
on paying his dues for the light heavyweight title until he is
undeniable and advises Hill to do the same.

“I received a lot of messages today regarding the light heavyweight
title fight,” Ankalaev wrote. “My job is to smash people’s face who
they put in front of me. I will destroy Rakic in Abu Dhabi and I
will not be denied. I don’t need nobody to feel bad for me.

“Why is Jamahal
Hill crying? Pereira just made you sleep, get back in the
[line] and work your way up or be ready for Abu Dhabi because Rakic
may pull out.”

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