Khalil Rountree Jr. impressed fans with his decision not to send opponent Anthony Smith more punches after the latter fell to the ground. Despite others opting to do the opposite to ensure success, the fighter shared choosing “doing the right things” to prevent unnecessary damage to the opponent.
Rountree Jr. and Smith fought at UFC Fight Night 233, where the former defeated “Lionheart,” who stepped in to replace Azamat Murzakanov on short notice. In the event, Rountree Jr. prevailed after making the opponent wobble in the second and third rounds, which later resulted in a TKO win. What makes this performance remarkable, nonetheless, is not only his win: Rountree Jr. amazed fans by stopping the attack at the right time.
“I just felt in control of everything going on inside of me,” Rountree told The MMA Hour. “I had to make sure that I was doing the right things to not really take a lot of damage from Anthony. I was just there. I was aware. I was prepared, but I was there, so my body didn’t just react to the motion of him falling down. I watched his eyes from the moment the punch landed to the moment he fell. I never disconnected. My feelings didn’t go, ‘Ah! There’s the finish I’ve been looking for!’
After the Bobby Green vs. Jalin Turner bout, where the former was severely beaten due to a late referee stoppage, the move is indeed something to admire. Despite the pressure to seal the fight completely with a solid KO, Rountree Jr. chose to make it only an option.
“I got it right here, but I’m still making eye contact, and I see that the eyes are still moving, and I see that the ref is coming into check,” explained the fighter. “So before I do something that’s dangerous, I actually got a chance to think about it. And that’s also something that made me so happy after this fight. I saw it, and I was like, ‘If I need to, I will,’ but then the ref steps in and like, thank God, I don’t have to.”
