Main: Khalil Rountree Jr punches Jamahal Hill during their UFC Baku main event. Inset: Chuck Liddell celebrates knocking out Randy Couture at UFC 57. Credit: Josh Hedges/Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images.

Khalil Rountree Jr tied Chuck Liddell and another legend for impressive UFC record during Jamahal Hill win

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 2:25 PM ET

Khalil Rountree Jr put himself among some MMA legends with his display at UFC Baku.

In his first fight since falling short of the UFC light heavyweight title against Alex Pereira, Rountree Jr bounced back in strong fashion.

In the main event of UFC Baku, Rountree Jr largely dominated Jamahal Hill, outstriking the former champion en route to a lopsided unanimous decision verdict in his favor.

While the headliner as a whole came under criticism from some who were expecting a more entertaining affair, ‘The War Horse’ certainly showed moments of violence.

And one powerful burst saw Rountree Jr enter the history books at UFC Baku.

Khalil Rountree Jr tied Chuck Liddell and Shogun Rua for UFC light heavyweight knockdown record

Rountree Jr’s win over Hill closed out the UFC’s first-ever event in Azerbaijan.

While the night will be memorable for ‘The War Horse’ purely due to his bounce-back victory and return to the title picture, it will also go down as the night in which he made history.

During the five-round main event on June 21, Rountree Jr knocked Hill down, putting the ex-title challenger level for the divisional record.

Rountree Jr’s tally of 14 knockdowns is now tied with former champions Chuck Liddell and Shogun Rua for the most in UFC light heavyweight history.

The 35-year-old will now look to surpass the two legends by notching his 15th next time out.

Khalil Rountree Jr’s knockdowns were not enough to impress Magomed Ankalaev

After the result on Saturday, Rountree Jr will no doubt be hoping for the chance to challenge Magomed Ankalaev down the line. But it seems that the newly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion was not impressed by the American’s latest performance.

Ankalaev reacted to Hill vs. Rountree Jr on social media, brutally mocking the pair for how their main event fight played out.

“I am falling asleep,” Ankalaev wrote.

I am falling asleep
— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) June 21, 2025

With that in mind, ‘The War Horse’ will likely need to make a statement with another victory over highly ranked opposition to secure his place as next in line after Pereira’s expected rematch later this year.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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