LAS VEGAS – Khalil Rountree wants to get reps under five rounds of fighting.
Now on a four-fight winning streak and standing out once again in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, Rountree is hoping to get a main event opportunity next. He’s not interested in more attention or getting his face on a poster. Rountree is setting his sight on the UFC title, and fighting 25 minutes is a good way to prepare.
“The reason why I want to fight five rounds is because I want to be ready for a championship fight as soon as possible,” Rountree told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 51 post-fight press conference. “I’m ready for a title, but I have to fight five rounds before I can fully say that.
“I’ve never fought a main event before. Where my mind is and where I’m going, I’m here to fight the best. I’m here to go after it and be a contender. So whoever makes sense in a five-round main event to help either of us get toward that belt, then that’s who it is. I’m not picking and closing opponents.”
Just two years ago, Rountree (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) was on a 1-3 run and contemplating retirement. Today, that’s a much different story. Rountree has four consecutive stoppage wins and hungry for more. This past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 51, he put away former heavyweight Chris Daukaus (12-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC).
Rountree says the turnaround largely can be attributed to coaches Lorenzo Pavlica and John Wood.
“My coach Lorenzo has taken me in, and I might get emotional just because this is really serious to me; this is serious stuff. At the beginning of my career, when I first got signed to the UFC, I dealt with a little of struggles. I didn’t know if I belonged in the UFC. I’m just kind of riding the wave.
“My career at the beginning was a bit of a fluke, if I’m being honest. I went into ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ I lost. I won. I didn’t win the final, but got awarded a contract. It was just a lot of ups and downs. But between John and Lorenzo, they both knew that I had potential. Both of those guys have put a lot of belief in me and have been with me through this whole journey, through my ups and downs. … It’s all coming full circle, and I think it just has to do with the guys that are in my life on a daily basis.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 51.
