UFC light heavyweight Khalil Rountree called out Alex Pereira for a title fight after defeating Anthony Smith at UFC Vegas 83, believing that his win should put him in the top 10 rankings and make him eligible for a title fight.
Khalil Rountree, a rising UFC light heavyweight, doesn’t usually pay much attention to fans’ chatter. Unless, of course, they come up with a brilliant idea.
When Alex Pereira snagged the UFC title at 205 pounds, Rountree’s social media exploded. Fans were excited about a potential match-up between the two. But Rountree knew he wasn’t quite ready for such a fight. He needed to beef up his track record first.
This past Saturday, Rountree did exactly that. He stopped one-time title challenger Anthony Smith in his tracks at UFC Vegas 83. Rountree’s natural power was too much for Smith. After the fight, Rountree used his victory speech to challenge Pereira, the new light heavyweight champ.
Rountree explained his reasoning at the post-fight press conference. “I don’t think you guys have any record of me ever calling anybody out,” he said. “But in my mind, knowing that if I beat Anthony Smith, that would get me into the top 10.” He knew he needed to be in the top 10 to be considered for a title fight.
Rountree continued, “Say they put me at No. 10 [in the rankings] and not No. 8, where Anthony was. So from 9 up, in my opinion, and I think in the fans’ opinion, the most exciting fight would be me vs. Pereira.” He saw the fans’ enthusiasm for this match-up in their comments.
Rountree and Pereira are both dynamic, powerful strikers. Neither of them plans to take the fight to the ground. “I don’t think he’s necessarily going to shoot for any takedowns, because the guy’s a warrior,” Rountree said. “So then you have two explosive, dynamic [fighters] in my mind, it just makes sense.”
However, Rountree doesn’t always pay heed to fans’ opinions. As a 33-year-old UFC veteran, he’s learned to ignore the critics. He knows their negativity can be toxic to his mental health.
Even after his win over Smith, Rountree didn’t expect his social media timeline to change much. Those who liked him would continue to do so, and those who doubted him would continue to spread negativity.
“People will never shut up,” Rountree said. “There’s going to be a large percentage of people that have just really s*** opinions.” He’s learned to accept that. He knows he’s had inconsistencies in the past, but he’s determined to keep doing what he’s doing.
Rountree knows there will always be detractors. But he also knows he has supporters who believe in him. “The ones that do support me and are cheering for me, man, I love them to death,” he said. “Because they could so easily be on the other end.”