In a matter of days, Khalil Rountree will compete for world championship glory at UFC 307. And Anderson Silva saw it coming a mile off.
The former middleweight King predicted ‘The War Horse’ would scale the MMA mountain almost a decade ago.
Anderson Silva picked Khalil Rountree to become a world champion in 2015
On Saturday evening at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, Khalili Rountree will aim to make his wildest dreams come true when he challenges Alex Pereira for light heavyweight supremacy.
The American is considered an underdog by the bookmakers, with many expecting him to fall foul to his rival’s thunderous left hook.
However, while a large portion of the MMA community is writing the American off, one man has always believed in him.
With a legacy carved in stone, Anderson Silva knows a thing or two about talent, having faced-off with some of the greatest fighters the sport has ever produced.
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In 2015, ‘The Spider’, who’s trained extensively with the Los Angeles native, came to the surmise that his sparring partner had the minerals to go all the way.
He told MMA Fighting: “Khalil is the next champion at 185. He’s the next one.”
While nine years have passed since that prediction was made, Rountree could indeed claim UFC gold on Saturday night, albeit in a weight class higher than Silva initially guessed.
Chael Sonnen thinks Khalil Rountree will finish Alex Pereira at UFC 307
It seems Silva isn’t the only one with faith in Rountree, as Chael Sonnen is utterly convinced the 34-year-old has what it takes to pull off the upset.
Having watched endless hours of tape on both men, ‘The American Gangster’ has given an in-depth tactical breakdown.
From his observations, he has concluded that Rountree will win via knockout and explained exactly how he’ll land the finishing shot.
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