UFC Baku: Khalil Rountree Clears the Air on Perceived Beef With Jamahal Hill

Controlled Chaos

While there might be a bit of awkwardness ahead of fight night, Rountree was honest about the dangers that Hill presents.

"He's a heavy hitter, and he's a tough guy," Rountree said. "He's not afraid to fight, and I think that when you're going up against people like that, there's always things to consider. It's always dangerous grounds to step into, but I don't plan to approach this fight carelessly at all. Anytime two light heavyweight fighters step inside the cage, you can bet your [expletive] that there's going to be danger. There's also a healthy level of caution."

More Content for Fans

Back in 2018, Rountree created a YouTube channel, but he's been more active with content recently. The No. 7-ranked UFC light heavyweight plans to continue keeping the channel active, and he explained what sparked his interest in posting more videos.

"After the Alex [Pereira] fight, there was a really big influx of new fans, and in the past I've been a little bit more reserved and closed off," Rountree said. "I thought I owe it to the people who support me to at least provide some type of insight on what life looks like. It's my way of being able to just share a little bit more of me so that people feel a little bit more connected."

Khalil Rountree's Major Camp Addition

In one of his videos, Rountree discussed adding former Muay Thai champion and MMA coach Chris Knowles to his camp. "The War Horse" recalled first meeting Knowles and why the two remained in contact to work together.

"After the Alex fight I took a small vacation, traveled the world, and while I was in London I just so happened to stop by Chris Knowles' gym and just kind of check it out, get some training with him. There was great chemistry there, and within the first two days, I think there were some stuff that we did that I felt stood out to me and that I wanted to continue to work on. We stayed in contact, and I flew him out to Las Vegas, and we just continued to work."

Rountree has quickly grown quite comfortable with Knowles, given how much time the head coach has dedicated to helping him improve.

"He's with me daily," Rountree said. "As a fighter, especially training every day, it's just nice to have coaches that are willing to dedicate the time it takes to really making us better, and Chris does that. He's sacrificed so much to just be with me daily. It's all been great, a great experience, great decision."

Rountree has also mentioned putting a greater emphasis on grappling in an effort to have a well-rounded skillset. While it's hard to argue that Rountree's Muay Thai journey was his biggest undertaking as a pro fighter, he has a familiar feeling the more he gets acclimated to grappling.

"Yeah, there are similarities," Rountree said. "I've definitely gained a bigger appreciation for certain aspects of grappling, especially having great coaches and training partners. They're really great. They explain things to me in a way that really excites me about grappling and grappling for MMA. I don't think anything will impact me as much as Muay Thai did, but I can definitely say that this is the first time that I'm very excited to get in there and grapple."

Remaining in UFC Title Race

Rountree's last fight was for the UFC light heavyweight gold. "The War Horse" had never been closer to a world title, and he's hoping a win over Hill puts him right back in contention.

"That would be ideal, honestly," Rountree said. "It all just comes down to how I perform on Saturday night. So, that's where my focus is, putting on a performance that is undeniable and that puts me somewhere up there at the top where a title fight is not too far away."

The current light heavyweight champion is Magomed Ankalaev, who defeated Pereira for the title in March. At the moment, the next UFC championship fight at 205 pounds hasn't been determined. Rountree thinks the unpredictability of MMA makes it difficult for him to guess Ankalaev's first challenger.

"It's really hard to say," Rountree said. "I don't think that anything in this sport is guaranteed. I think that the UFC is always full of surprises. I don't think that it's by choice. I think if it were up to the UFC, they would keep things very structured, and they would be able to give the fans the answers that they're looking for. Us fighters, we are complicated people, and we can be picky at times, but with all that being said, I'm not really sure. I think that when the news comes out of what's next, I'll be just as surprised as you are."

Leaving No Doubt

By the time UFC Baku is over, Rountree is hoping for more than just a victory. He hopes to leave no doubt that he should be back in UFC title talks.

"I think the headlines are going to say, 'Khalil Rountree is the baddest man on the planet, hands down,'" Rountree said. "'Give this guy a title shot as soon as possible,' and that's the headline."