If you ask 100 random UFC fans what Khalil Rountree’s most optimal path to victory against Alex Pereira is, we’d assume that the vast majority of responses would be along the lines of ‘take him down’ and out of his comfort zone.
Yet ‘The War Horse’ isn’t known for his grappling, and given his fascinating interview with Michael Bisping earlier today, it’s safe to assume that wrestling won’t be a part of the title challenger’s game plan come October 5.
Khalil Rountree says wrestling isn’t part of his gameplan for one key reason
UFC veteran Khalil Rountree Jr has the chance to write his name into the history books in October when he takes on ‘Poatan’ in the main event of UFC 307, set for Salt Lake City, Utah.
The 34-year-old ‘War Horse’ has racked up five impressive wins to secure the Alex Pereira fight, including a brutal KO of Anthony Smith in his last bout, and the fan-favorite striker isn’t planning on betraying what’s gotten him the title shot now that the moment for greatness has arrived.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Rountree told Michael Bisping regarding the narrative that he must wrestle Pereira to the ground if he is to leave Utah with the light heavyweight belt over his broad shoulders.
“I’m not a wrestler; yes, I’m a mixed martial artist and I’m able to do a lot of different things, my grappling is good, my wrestling’s decent but that’s just not me – that’s not my instinct.
“Why would I put myself in harm’s way to try to secure this victory when that’s just not me or my style, it would show me that if my coach was telling me ‘Hey, this is the way [to win]’ then who are you coaching?”
Rountree stated that wrestling has “never been the gameplan” before in his eight-year UFC tenure: “So why, at the height of my career, would we switch everything that we’ve ever done to secure some victory – where is your belief in what I do?
“It made me question my coaches if anything, not that I would immediately say ‘You’re fired’ but I wouldn’t say ‘Okay yeah’ – there would be a serious discussion around that topic.”
Rountree has 15 fights to date in the UFC and according to the official stats page, has a ‘takedown average’ of exactly 0.00 – so he’s quite right when he states that wrestling has never been a part of his gameplan before.
“I do realize that this is an important moment, and I have the chance to reach the pinnacle and win the belt, but there’s also ways of going about it that I can still stay true to myself, and victory be a lot more meaningful.
“I want this to be a memorable fight and if there comes a moment where I just instinctively have to dive or something, so be it – but was it planned? Absolutely not.”
Khalil Rountree comments on Alex Pereira’s use of ‘shamanic spirits’
In the lead up to Alex Pereira’s last title bout, challenger Jiri Prochazka had stated that Poatan uses ‘magic’ and ‘spirits’ to help him win fights; and asked the Brazilian to avoid such tactics – and we all remember how that played out.
In turn, Rountree was asked by The Schmo what he thought about the ‘shamanic spirit’ situation surrounding Pereira, with the UFC 307 opponent dismissing such talk as nonsense.
“I don’t [care about the spiritual stuff]. It doesn’t matter, dude, like none of that stuff matters at all, I don’t pay attention to that – I’m just excited.
“Like I say it over and over again none of that stuff matters, what the fans say or what the haters say it doesn’t matter, face paint doesn’t matter, what matters is as soon as the cage door closes and we get to perform for the fans that’s the moment, that’s the most exciting.”
Khalil Rountree Jr vs Alex Pereira is set for the main event of UFC 307, scheduled to go down on October 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah.