UFC’s Rising Phoenix: Khalil Rountree’s journey from the shadows to stardom.
From being bullied, overweight, depressed, and suicidal to fighting for the UFC World Light Heavyweight Championship.
UFC 307
“Redemption” is a word that is often loosely thrown around as not many are truly aware of the weight this word carries. However, this word perfectly sums up the story of Khalil Rountree’s professional MMA career.
“The War Horse” is set to take on the current champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira at UFC 307 on 5th October in Salt Lake City, Utah, headlining the pay-per-view. With a professional record of fourteen wins and five losses, Khalil will be heading into the fight as a massive underdog.
Early Life
Behind this assumption, however, not many are aware of the challenges he had to face to get here. When he was just two years old, his father, Rhoderick Rountree, was tragically shot while defending himself from an attempted robbery. A young Khalil grew up in Nevada, Las Vegas with his mother and an elder brother.
Bullied in elementary and high school for having different lifestyle preferences from others, the fighter just “wanted to disconnect from the world.” At the time, music was his only escape. He realized that only music made him happy, he had even considered creating his music as a potential career option.
The lowest point
Although he wanted to remain optimistic for the future, Khalil’s past led him towards a life of unhealthy food habits, a smoking addiction, and exposure to drinking in his late teenage years. “A snowballing effect” that saw the then 19-year-old becoming suicidal.
This continued until he saw then Light Heavyweight Champion, Quentin “Rampage” Jackson remove his frustrations on a door in the tenth season of the Ultimate Fighter. As the contender claims, this was the moment when he decided to “turn his life around.”
Redemption
He decided MMA was the best way to channel his energies and joined Syndicate MMA, a local MMA School in Nevada. “A fighter from day one,” said his coach John Wood to the UFC in 2023, Rountree dedicated his life to his craft and signed his first professional fight after just three months of training.
The fight was not the only challenge before him, Khalil was instructed by John to lose a hundred pounds in body weight to be able to compete in the 205-pound (Light Heavyweight) division locally. It did not take Rountree long to clear that hurdle as he went on to win his first fight by knockout.
Signing with the UFC and the Thailand trip
After winning his first three professional MMA fights, he got the opportunity to showcase his talents in the UFC via a promotional fight on the twenty-third season of The Ultimate Fighter in 2016. However, his journey towards the title bout was not as straightforward as one may think.
After a surprise loss to opponent Johnny Walker in 2018, Khalil decided to relocate to Thailand and learn the brutal combat martial art of Muay Thai to expand his technical striking base. He started training at the renowned “Tiger Muay Thai” Gym in Phuket and adapted his fighting style b
Recent career trajectory
This decision helped him improve his form as he went on to win six of the next eight fights, boasting a five-fight win streak in the process. A striking-only style with impressive form was enough to convince the UFC to give him the title shot against Pereira. It is a matchup that is almost guaranteed to be a fan favorite due to the entertaining kickboxing styles.
Just when you think the story is over, his next obstacle proves to be a four-and-a-half-month suspension for ingesting a banned substance. Khalil self-reported to the UFC for ingesting a banned substance. However, Rountree claimed to have unknowingly consumed the substance. His professional behavior and cooperation throughout the investigation meant he got the title shot straight after the suspension ended.
Looking Ahead
“MMA was the first sport I ever participated in,” said the 34-year-old in an interview for the UFC. He claimed that winning the title was not his only motivation. His drive is dedicated more towards helping people who struggle with mental and physiological issues. He aims to become an inspiration for people willing to turn their lives around.
Regardless of the result on Saturday, “The War Horse” is instead a phoenix that has risen from the ashes. The people’s champion, an inspiration to many, and a warrior at heart. Khalil Rountree Jr. truly captures the essence of the spirit that resides within all martial artists and fans alike, a spirit from within that says, “Never give up.”
