Khalil Rountree Jr. may have overachieved against Alex Pereira.
That’s according to retired MMA fighter and current UFC analyst Din Thomas, who suggested the “War Horse” we saw in a gritty loss to “Poatan” atop the UFC 307 fight card last fall in Salt Lake City was the exception, not the rule.
And probably why Rountree Jr. gets knocked out by Jamahal Hill.
“I’m leaning towards Jamahal Hill to knock out Khalil Rountree,” Thomas told MMA Junkie. “The reason being, Khalil Rountree looked fantastic against Alex Pereira, but that was his moment, and sometimes fighters just have that moment and then they go back to what they really are. And I’m not saying Khalil Rountree is not a great fighter. He’s a very dangerous fighter, but I think he rose to the occasion with Alex Pereira, and then we’re going to automatically assume that that’s his new standard.”
Rountree Jr. headlines the UFC Baku fight card this weekend on ABC.
“Me personally, I don’t necessarily assume that’s his new standard,” Thomas continued. “I think he rose to the occasion, but I still think he’s a good and dangerous fighter, but not an elite, world championship-level fighter. I think Jamahal Hill as that ability in him. He’s a little bit longer. He’s got instinctive boxing skills. I think he’s going to be able to touch up Khalil Rountree as long as he can avoid the leg kicks.”
Thomas claims the loser, “gets put into night watch status.”
Hill has his own critics to silence after losing back-to-back fights to Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. In addition, “Sweet Dreams” has been dealing with multiple injuries over the last two years and hasn’t won a fight since out-lasting Glover Teixeira at UFC 283.
LIVE! Stream UFC Baku On ESPN+
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CROSSROADS! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) crashes Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sat., June 21, 2025, with UFC Baku. Former 205-pound champion, Jamahal Hill, collides with veteran “War Horse,” Khalil Rountree Jr., in a blistering main event mashup scheduled for five, five-minute rounds. In UFC Baku’s co-main event, No. 11-ranked lightweight contender, Rafael Fiziev, locks horns with 155-pound striking sensation, Ignacio Bahamondes, with a spot in the lightweight Top 10 up for grabs.
Don’t miss a single second of face-punching action!
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Baku fight card right here, starting with the ESPN2/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, before the ABC main card start time at 3 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
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