Khalil Rountree dismissed criticism from fans and UFC champion Magomed Ankalaev after his unanimous decision win over Jamahal Hill, emphasizing his focus on future opportunities rather than public opinion.
Khalil Rountree couldn’t care less about a few fans—or even the UFC light heavyweight champion—not appreciating his latest performance. Saturday’s UFC Baku main event saw Rountree out-strike Jamahal Hill for five rounds, securing a unanimous decision win. This victory was a much-needed bounce-back for Rountree after his hard-fought loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 307.
Despite dominating, not everyone was impressed. UFC champion Magomed Ankalaev tweeted he was “falling asleep” during the headlining contest. Rountree addressed Ankalaev’s comment at the post-fight press conference.
“It’s expected,” Rountree shrugged. “That guy talks about me more than I talk about him. You’re the champion, bro. Why are you talking about me? Go enjoy your title. Quit tweeting about me. No more Ankalaev questions today. If you ask me, I’m putting the mic down.”
Before shutting down the Ankalaev chatter, Rountree mentioned he’d welcome another title shot but wasn’t actively campaigning for it. After five straight wins, he earned his shot against Pereira and likely needs just one more win to become the No. 1 contender.
For now, he’s content to let matchmakers decide his future. “Where does this victory put me?” Rountree pondered. “Wherever the UFC puts me. I say it over and over again, what I want, I think it’s clear. But it’s up to the UFC.”
Some audience members reportedly echoed Ankalaev’s sentiment, leaving during the main event. Rountree wasn’t aware of this, focused entirely on fighting Hill.
“They started to leave the arena?” Rountree asked. “During the walkout? Did I offend someone? I didn’t even notice. The camera lights are so bright, I couldn’t see the crowd. But it doesn’t matter, I was ready to fight.”
“Whoever left, hey… everybody else who stayed, thank you.”