“The only thing I want is fight Alex Pereira!” Khalil Rountree puts Dana White on alert with SCARY knockout against veteran Anthony Smith

Khalil Rountree calls out Alex Pereira after spectacular win over Anthony Smith at UFC Vegas 83. He knocked out Smith in the third round.

“The only thing I want is fight Alex Pereira!” Khalil Rountree puts Dana White on alert with SCARY knockout against veteran Anthony Smith

Khalil Rountree Jr. calls out Alex Pereira after win over Anthony Smith in UFC Vegas 83 (via IMAGO/Instagram)

Khalil Rountree Jr. faced Anthony Smith at UFC Vegas 83. He finished the veteran in the third round with a devastating two-punch combo. With this spectacular win, Rountree hoped to earn a top-ten spot in the UFC light-heavyweight division. As such, he took this chance to call out the champion, Alex Pereira.

In the post-fight presentation, Khalil Rountree called out Alex Pereira and wanted to get a title shot soon. Usually, UFC contenders tend to fight up the rankings and enter the top five before competing for the title or even calling out for a title shot. However, Rountree skipped those steps and went ahead with his callout. Here is what he said:

The only thing that I want to do is fight Alex Pereira...Dana (White), Hunter (Campbell), if you guys pay attention to what the fans are saying, I think that's something that they want to see sooner than later.
Khalil Rountree via octagon interview
YouTube video

Although Khalil Rountree Jr. calling out for a title shot was a long shot, it sowed the seed for his title potential. Earlier, Rountree was scheduled to face #12 ranked Azamat Murzakanov, but the fight was canceled. This led #8 ranked Anthony Smith to step up on short notice. Now with a spectacular knockout over ‘Lion Heart,’ he hoped to get ranked in the top 10. So, the title shot might not be as long as it looked.

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Khalil Rountree Jr. is on an impressive five-fight win streak. Also, he has a fan following with such an entertaining fighting style. So, matching him up against another credited striker like Alex Pereira is meant to be a banger of a fight. As such, Rountree called out ‘Poatan.’ Alex Pereira recently won the light-heavyweight title in UFC 295 by annihilating Jiri Prochazka in the second round. He looked to defend his title in early 2024 but Rountree might not be the opponent.

Khalil Rountree Jr. supports his callout of Alex Pereira despite being far away in the rankings

Khalil Rountree Jr. is ranked number 11 after a win in UFC Vegas 83. However, he expected a top-ten spot since he beat the #8-ranked Anthony Smith. However, he proceeded with his callout of the Light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. Many criticized that the callout was nonsensical, but Rountree supported his post-fight press conference claim.

Khalil Rountree claims that the only exciting fight for Alex Pereira was him
Khalil Rountree claims that the only exciting fight for Alex Pereira was him (via UFC)

Khalil Rountree stated that he knew the dynamics of the rankings and how they worked. He knew that he had to fight higher in the rankings to get to a title fight. However, he reasoned his callout by mentioning that he would be the most exciting matchup for ‘Poatan’ in the division. Here is what he said:

I know that the way that the rankings kindda work if I fought and I'm just #12. I just know that I have to be in the top ten to even be worthy of fighting for a title. In my opinion and I think in the fans' opinion, the most exciting fight would be me vs. Pereira. I think it makes sense.
Khalil Rountree via UFC Vegas 83 post fight press conference

Despite being ranked low in the light-heavyweight division, Khalil Rountree was a force to be reckoned with. He had finished four of his last fights and kept adding knockouts to his highlight reel. Therefore, as he mentioned, his fighting Alex Pereira would be a spectacle for the fight fans. However, it would be highly unlikely the UFC books him for a championship fight without giving him a #1 contenders fight.

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