Khalil Rountree put on an impressive performance to outpoint Jamahal Hill at UFC Baku on Saturday night.
Hill never really provided any major threat to Rountree, who worked his American counterpart for five rounds to claim a unanimous decision win.
Rountree’s leg kicks proved pivotal in the main event of UFC BakuGettyRountree looked the more technical fighter throughout the fight, as Hill struggled with pain in his right leg following several brutal calf kicks from his opponent.
Two judges ruled the contest 50-45 in Rountree’s favour, with the third giving Hill a round and scoring it 49-46.
Rountree asserted in his post-fight interview that he wants to be a UFC champion, having lost a light heavyweight title fight to Alex Pereira in his last appearance eight months prior.
He has now been victorious in six of his previous seven UFC bouts, and will have his eyes on a top five ranked opponent next.
The 35-year-old Californian emerged through The Ultimate Fighter in 2016 before embarking on a five-fight win streak between 2021 and 2023 to cement his name as one of the best at 205 lbs.
Rountree’s win means he will likely leapfrog Hill to become the UFC’s No. 4 ranked light heavyweight, with only Carlos Ulberg, Jiri Prochazka, Pereira, and the champion Magomed Ankalaev above him.
This means that he is now likely just one fight away from being rewarded with a second shot at UFC gold.
Ankalaev won the title by claiming a unanimous decision victory over Pereira at UFC 313 in March, and the latter was expected to be thrust straight back into a rematch with the new Russian champion.
However, after several verbal exchanges between the pair, and Pereira seemingly being frustrated with UFC bosses, that rematch has yet to come to fruition.
This has put Prochazka in prime position to fight for the belt next, with Pereira also revealing last week that he is now walking around at a monstrous 249lbs.
Rountree dominated Hill in the main event of UFC BakuTNT SportsPereira’s current weight has led many MMA fans to believe that he is preparing to move up to the heavyweight division in preparation for a fight with Brit Tom Aspinall, who has been calling for an undisputed bout with Jon Jones for months to no avail.
If Pereira was out of the picture, Rountree could be matched up against New Zealander Ulberg, who defeated Jan Blachowicz at UFC London in March.
Then, if Ankalaev fought Prochazka, the winner of a mouthwatering clash between Ulberg and Rountree would likely get a title shot.
However, Pereira told MMA Fighting on Friday that he is focused on remaining at light heavyweight, so the most likely scenario would be a rematch against Ankalaev.
This could match Prochazka and Ulberg in a fight, meaning Rountree may potentially have to go through another title eliminator bout before he gets his second attempt at a UFC title.
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