When the punches started landing, the fight seemed to be taking a familiar turn. But Khalil Rountree , even with his bruised face and battered body, wasn't there to be just another opponent. The American declared that sharing the octagon with Alex Poatan at UFC 307 in October, for the light heavyweight title (up to 93kg), was like a dream come true, even with the defeat.
In an interview with 'Fight Energy Film', Khalil shared a rare insight into an athlete after a setback. The fighter reveals that he was able to find something positive even in the final blow that knocked him down.
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“I was very relaxed, at one point I asked my coach if this was right, if I was too relaxed. And he said to me: 'This is perfect'. When I entered the octagon, I couldn't think of anything else but how happy I was there, doing what I love. Even after being knocked out in the fourth round, I felt happy. I was where I was supposed to be, living a dream”, revealed Rountree.
Khalil Rountree 'surprised' Poatan, but ended up knocked out in UFC
Khalil started the fight with confidence and dominated the first two rounds with his aggressive striking, but saw his rhythm broken by Poatan's experience and technique. The Brazilian began to apply pressure in the third round until, in the fourth round, the American could not hold out and was knocked out.
After the fight ended, and with his face disfigured, the fighter underwent surgery to correct a deviated nasal septum, the result of Poatan's hard blows.
With a record of 14 wins and six losses, ten of which were by knockout, Rountree maintains his position as one of the most dangerous names in the division. Even after the setback, he remains in seventh place in the rankings.
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