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Jiří Procházka faceplants Khalil Rountree Jr. with a Round 3 KO after slow start

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 9:53 AM ET

LAS VEGAS — Former light heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka overcame a sluggish opening 10 minutes, then detonated Khalil Rountree Jr. with a crushing left hand for a knockout at 3:04 of Round 3 on the main card at T-Mobile Arena. The comeback finish vaults Procházka back into the championship conversation at 205 pounds.

Rountree’s cleaner, more disciplined work likely banked the first two frames as Procházka probed with kicks and feints without much momentum. True to form, the ex-champ flipped the tenor of the fight in the third walking Rounttree down behind punches, mixing in knees and elbows, and finally uncorking a left that sent Rountree face-first to the canvas for a walk-off finish.

JIRI PROCHAZKA KNOCKS OUT KHALIL ROUNTREE IN THE THIRD ROUND!!!!

OH MY GODDDDDDDDD #UFC320 pic.twitter.com/s7iLru6t6g

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 5, 2025

On the cards (before the finish)

Octagon-side tallies had Procházka trailing 20–18 on all three judges’ scorecards after two rounds. Underscoring how emphatic the turnaround was once he pressed.

What it means

Post-fight, Procházka angled for another crack at gold signaling he wants the winner of Ankalaev–Pereira 2 and even lobbed a note toward would-be foe Carlos Ulberg. With a statement KO on pay-per-view, he’s firmly back among the top contenders at light heavyweight.

Huge Setback for Rountree Jr.

Expect a short cooldown while the Nevada commission finalizes post-fight medicals (typically issued the week after events). As a general benchmark, KO losses often trigger at least a 60-day medical suspension under ABC regulatory guidelines; exact terms for UFC 320 will come from NSAC. That points to a realistic return window in Q1 2026, camp length permitting.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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