While many have scoffed at the idea of Khalil Rountree Jr. being a credible threat at UFC 307, a former champion believes differently.
Or at least did a few years back.
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Anderson Silva, the former kingpin of the UFC middleweight division, can be heard in a video by MMA Fighting discussing the skills of Rountree from 2015. This coming Saturday, Rountree takes on Alex Pereira in the main event for the light heavyweight title.
“Khalil is the next champion at 185,” Silva said. “He’s the one.”
Silva and Rountree were sparring partners, as “The Spider” made his run through the ranks. The video is part of an extended interview with Silva during UFC 183 workouts.
The 34-year-old Rountree is riding a five-fight win streak that included four finishes. Last December, he scored a Performance of the Night bonus with a third round finish of Anthony Smith to improve to 13-5 overall.
Rountree has also toppled Chris Daukaus, Dustin Jacoby, Karl Roberson and Modestas Bukauskas since a 2021 loss to Marcin Prachnio.
