When he fights out his current UFC contract, Khalil Rountree Jr. will be done with MMA.
Rountree Jr. has broken through from mid-tier status to become a strong fixture in the UFC light heavyweight title picture. He notably challenged for the title in October 2024, with Rountree Jr. pushing Alex Pereira to the limit in the early rounds of the UFC 307 main event before being the victim of a comeback from the then-champion.
It did not take long for ‘The War Horse’ to get back on track and keep his name in the championship conversation. Rountree Jr. comfortably beat Jamahal Hill at UFC Baku in June, earning him a likely title eliminator against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 320 this October.
The 35-year-old is pushing to realize his dreams of winning UFC gold, and if he is to reach his ultimate goal, Rountree Jr. believes he must do so within his current contract.
Khalil Rountree Jr. intends to retire at the end of his current UFC contract
During a recent interview with Joe Rogan on the JRE MMA Show, Rountree Jr. was asked by the veteran color commentator whether he has an “exit” plan.
While he does not have an age or set number of fights in mind, ‘The War Horse’ did reveal that he does not intend to sign a contract extension with the UFC.
“I am just focused on becoming a champion,” Rountree Jr. said. “Right now, I have no distractions.
“How about this, I can say that I would like for my current contract to be my last contract.
“Left, (I have) six or seven (fights),” Rountree Jr. continued. “(That is what I would like) in an ideal world, or like, maybe there’s like a renegotiation and it’s not for as many fights.
“But I think six or seven more fights would be nice, to be able to look around and say, ‘Okay, is this enough? Is this okay for me to step away from? Am I secure? Is my family secure?’
“Time waits for no man. I don’t want to be 41, 42 (still fighting).”
Khalil Rountree Jr. tied UFC legends for a light heavyweight record in his last fight
Rountree Jr.’s triumph at the UFC’s debut event in Azerbaijan ensured he would not slip out of title contention, and it also placed his name among a few all-time greats.
By defeating Hill at Baku Crystal Hall, Rountree Jr. tied Chuck Liddell and Shogun Rua for the record of most knockdowns in UFC light heavyweight history.
All three sit on 14 knockdowns, and with ‘The War Horse’ marking the only man still active in the fight game, he is likely to break away from the pack and become the record’s sole holder.
Given Prochazka’s penchant for wild firefights, perhaps Rountree Jr. will have the chance to do so in his very next fight at UFC 320.