Khalil Rountree admits he felt happy following brutal UFC title loss to Alex Pereira: “Felt like I was where I belong”
Khalil Rountree was happy following his brutal knockout loss to UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
‘The War Horse’ and ‘Poatan’ met in Salt Lake City in October. The title shot was a surprising one, but Khalil Rountree entered the fight riding a wave of momentum. Knockout wins over the likes of Anthony Smith and Chris Daukaus led to the striker facing UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. The Brazilian entered the cage as a massive betting favorite, fresh off a win over Jiri Prochazka in June.
However, Khalil Rountree gave Alex Pereira all he could handle in their UFC 307 headliner. The challenger won the first round and scored a shock knockdown over the champion in the second. However, Pereira came roaring back in round three. In round four, ‘Poatan’ battered the challenger to score a knockout win.
Post-fight, Khalil Rountree admitted that his injuries were devastating. The challenger was blinded by a big punch from Alex Pereira early, and couldn’t see out of one of his eyes for the remainder of the bout. However, Rountree loved being in there with ‘Poatan’. Speaking in a recent interview with Fight Energy, the 34-year-old opened up on the bout.
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Khalil Rountree reflects on brutal UFC 307 title fight with Alex Pereira
In the interview, Khalil Rountree reflected on the night he lost to Alex Pereira. Despite the brutal nature of the defeat, ‘The War Horse’ has no regrets about the fight itself. Rountree also felt that the bout proved that he belonged in the top echelon of the UFC’s light-heavyweight division, adding that the night was like a dream.
“I asked my coach, ‘I’m very relaxed, is that okay?’, and he went ‘Yeah, it’s perfect’.” Khali Rountree stated in the interview, reflecting on the night he faced UFC champion Alex Pereira. “When I was in the cage and he was walking out, all I can remember is just being happy. Even the moment when I got finished in the fourth round, I was just so happy.”
He continued, “Throughout the whole fight, [I was happy]. It felt like I was where I belonged, I felt like I belonged there. It was really like living in a dream.”
What do you make of these comments from the UFC light-heavyweight? Who do you want to see Khalil Rountree face following his loss to Alex Pereira?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
Alex Pereira Khalil Rountree UFC
