It must be frightening for even the toughest men on the planet to stand inside the Octagon with Alex “Poatan” Pereira bearing down left and right hooks with maximum efficiency, speed and power. But for Khalil Rountree Jr. on Sunday, October 6, it was a question of earning respect. Not just from his opponent, but from fans around the world who had tuned in to watch the Main Event of UFC 307 taking place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
If the winner were to be decided by who earned the most respect, Khalil Rountree would’ve cleared the competition by a mile. But sadly, the fight’s result was decided as Khalil Rountree’s body finally stopped listening to his adamant heart and mind, and slumped into a heap of muscle against the Octagon’s wall.
Up until the 2nd round, the fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship was going pretty even, with Khalil Rountree Jr. aka, the “The War Horse”, actually leading the first two rounds, 10-9, 10-9, in most people’s opinions. But it was during the latter half of the 3rd round when it became clear how this fight would soon end. But that soon still turned out to be more than 6-7 minutes away.
As the fight progressed, it became clear that Khalil Rountree was slowing down. A smaller percentage of his shots started finding their target, while Alex Pereira kept on punishing Khalil’s lack of speed whenever he got the opportunity. The reigning champion ended the 3rd round on top after a nasty elbow landed on Rountree’s nose busting open a nasty cut.
Many thought Rountree was saved by the bell in Round 3, but the reality was that Khalil Rountree was ready to take the punishment for as long as his body could take it. And that “never-give-up” attitude was on full display during the 4th round. For all the 4.30 minutes that the round lasted, there was only one fighter fighting. The other was barely surviving. Multiple jabs to the face, shin kicks to the head, front kicks to the abdomen, left and right hooks and uppercuts to the chin and nose right through his guard. Khalil Rountree was plummeting into an abyss and there was no saving him.
Alex Pereira had done it again. And yet, each soul with humanity inside the arena and those watching around the world were rooting for Khalil Rountree Jr. to at least finish the round. But with 30 seconds left to go in Round 4, Khalil Rountree’s body started to give up. With his hands still guarding his face as if to say “Bring it On!”, his legs slumped followed by his upper body as Alex Pereira won with a TKO successfully defending his UFC Light Heavyweight title for the 3rd time in a row.
No other fighter in the UFC might have the kind of heart Rountree showed in Utah. Khalil Rountree’s warrior spirit was on full display in the cage and despite his loss, he walked off the octagon with his head held high. Who do you think Khalil Rountree should fight next?
