UFC Vegas saw some incredible showings from a lot of fighters. However, one of the biggest talking points was around Khalil Rountree Jr. and his brutal win over Anthony Smith. As it turns out, the much-talked-about fight even piqued the interest of Alex Pereira.
For those unaware, Khalil Rountree Jr. took on Anthony Smith in the co-main of UFC Vegas 83 on December 9. Having dominated the fight on the ground, Khalil connected with a thundering one-two, sending a deflated Smith to the canvas. Thereafter, he raised a left hammer fist, ready to deliver the final blow but giving the referee time to step in.
After tonight’s finish at #UFCVegas83, @KhalilRountree has a message for Alex Pereira 👀 pic.twitter.com/FNdlvUai2d
— UFC (@ufc) December 10, 2023
Naturally, the hammer fist was unnecessary and would have caused serious damage to ‘Lionheart‘. Thus, many were pleased to see Khalil’s self-control, especially considering his violent tendencies. Following the fight, Rountree made an audacious yet earnest callout to Alex Pereira. As for Pereira himself, the champ took to his Instagram stories to write, “This was a really good fight”.
Although he did not directly respond to Khalil, it was clear to see that ‘Poatan‘ was impressed with the performance. A man after his own heart, the light heavyweight contender had just violently dominated a mainstay. Notably, many felt as though Pereira’s comments were out of hate for Smith, rather than praise for Khalil, especially after the former’s comments in the past.
Why did Khalil Rountree Jr. call out Alex Pereira?
For the most part, many felt as though Khalil Rountree Jr. had no business calling out Alex Pereira. Having only made his way into the UFC light heavyweight top 10, there are numerous contenders ahead of him. However, as Khalil himself stated, it was something he had pre-planned and not something he said in the heat of the moment.
Thus, when ‘The War Horse‘ did make the callout, it had a lot of people left surprised. Now on a five-fight win streak, it is clear that Khalil is ready for the top-tier competition in the light heavyweight division. With that said, many would want to see more from him before he makes a case for a title shot.
Speaking in the post-fight press conference, Rountree said, “In my opinion, and I think in the fans’ opinion, the most exciting fight would be me vs. (Alex) Pereira. That’s what I’ve seen from comments and things like that.” Further, he adds, “After Alex’s win, I got flooded with messages and people tagging me. I think it makes sense, two dynamic strikers, powerful strikers.” As such, the Syndicate MMA athlete reveals that a lot of fans have been encouraging him to fight the champion.
Although Khalil Rountree Jr. does make a solid point of it being a stylistically good matchup, it is still the only valid point he makes. As for the fans, it’s hard to imagine Rountree being flooded with messages to fight Pereira. With that said, having already gotten the champ’s attention, Khalil would do well to keep his streak going. Thus, if he dominates in his next two fights, Khalil will be much better poised for a title shot.