Kamaru Usman sees Khalil Rountree pulling off a huge upset at UFC 307.
Rountree challenges light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in Saturday’s UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) headliner at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
With Rountree (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vowing not to shoot any takedowns, many see him as a favorable matchup for Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC). But Usman has a gut feeling that Rountree will surprise everyone – especially since the fight is in Utah, where Usman lost his welterweight title in stunning fashion to Leon Edwards at UFC 278.
“I’m going to shock everybody here. I think you are wrong why you are saying that everyone stands and strikes with (Pereira) and they lose? I think Khalil Rountree shocks the world – shocks the world,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “Crazy things happen in Utah, and look at our champions right now. Khalil Rountree is extremely explosive, extremely powerful, his muay Thai is incredible. When he’s launching them, he’s going to find your face. The problem is his pace.
“When Khalil lets go, he lets everything go. And how is he going to do in Rounds 3, 4 and 5 if the fight somehow gets there? That’s my only concern. But in those first two rounds, I’m telling you right now that Khalil Rountree is as dangerous as anyone Alex Pereira has fought. I’m telling you right now. With his story, with everything that he’s been through, man, what a way to cap that off by letting the world and future generations know that you can start here, completely change your life, and end here.”
According to DraftKings, Rountree is a +390 underdog against Pereira, who’s a big -520 favorite.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
