Khalil Rountree isn’t a fan of callouts. Nonetheless, after his recent victory over the ranked Anthony Smith at UFC Fight Night 233, Rountree believes he finally deserves a title shot.
Rountree caught the attention of the MMA community after defeating Smith, who replaced Azamat Murzakanov in the bout on short notice. Prior to the fight, Rountree expressed delight over facing a ranked fighter, saying it could help him move forward in the ranking. His expectations didn’t end up with disappointments after making the opponent wobble in the second and third rounds, which later resulted in a TKO win.
After this success, Rountree has found the confidence to make his first callout, which is aimed toward the division champ, Alex Pereira.
“I came in with high hopes I would have a good performance,” Rountree said during his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “Las Vegas is the home of the UFC. And in my mind, I feel like it’s time to have a champion at home. I’m in the top 10 now and the only thing that I want to do is fight Alex Pereira. I know that I have other people that I have to possibly fight, but I know that’s a fight the fans would want to see. I think that from what I’ve seen, the fans would love to see that fight.”
According to the fighter, the idea of a fight between him and “Poatan” was based on “fans’ opinion” and “comments” he received after making the win. Despite that, Rountree underscored that the callout is not something he immediately wants, which is logical since there are lots of fighters ahead of him.
“Now, me being in the top 10, in my mind, it just makes sense,” said at a post-fight news conference of the event. “I’m putting in the work every day and I’m prepared for anything. I’m not saying, ‘This is what I want. Give it to me now.’ But, I think that it would make sense, and that’s kind of where I stand.”
