Anthony Smith explains why he took pride in watching Khalil Rountree Jr. find early success against Alex Pereira at UFC 307: “At least it ain’t just me”

UFC fighter Anthony Smith says he took pride in seeing Khalil Rountree Jr enjoy success against Alex Pereira in their UFC 307 main event.

Last weekend, Khalil Rountree Jr performed brilliantly against Alex Pereira. He put up an incredible fight against the Brazilian and while he ultimately lost via stoppage, his stock went up dramatically.

RELATED: Anthony Smith says he was in a “dark place” following his knockout loss to Khalil Rountree Jr.

He showed heart, determination and a great deal of skill, to the point where he was even able to drop ‘Poatan’. No, he didn’t get the job done, but there’s an excellent chance that he’ll be hanging around the title picture for a while to come after such an outing.

Anthony Smith, who fell short to Khalil Rountree Jr when the two fought, gave his thoughts on how it all played out in Utah.

Smith reacts to Pereira vs Rountree Jr

“To be very honest, there was a lot of me those first two rounds that felt really good watching Khalil, like f***, at least it ain’t just me.

“I was like oh thank God. It would have really hurt my heart if Pereira had went out there and just dusted Khalil in like a round but watching him have some real serious success and land big on, you know how it is as a fighter. You kind of sit back and go, ‘S*** he didn’t land on me like that till the third round’. It was cool and it made he happy for Khalil.”

Quotes via MMA News

What do you believe should be next for Khalil Rountree Jr in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after this? Was that one of the best title fights you’ve ever seen? Let us know your thoughts on this one, BJPENN Nation!