UFC Quote: Khalil Rountree Wants Alex Pereira Title Shot Next: "I Think It Makes Sense"

Khalil Rountree made a bold claim regarding his next fight minutes after his UFC Vegas 83 win.
UFC Quote: Khalil Rountree Wants Alex Pereira Title Shot Next: "I Think It Makes Sense"
UFC Quote: Khalil Rountree Wants Alex Pereira Title Shot Next: "I Think It Makes Sense" /

Khalil Rountree earned his fifth-straight win Saturday night against Anthony Smith in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 83.

The 33-year-old Californian already has his sights set on even bigger goals, including a title shot against newly-crowned champion Alex Pereira.

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While speaking to the media at the UFC APEX just as the event had concluded, Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5, 1 NC UFC), a man of few words, staked his claims for a fight with Pereira in 2024 and beyond.

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"I don't ever call people out," Rountree said. "I don't think you guys have any record of me ever calling anybody out. But, in my mind, knowing that I beat Anthony Smith, that would get me into the top-10. And I know that, the way the rankings kinda work, if I fought and I'm just 12, I just know that, like, I have to be in the top-10 to be worthy of fighting for a title."

Rountree said that given who is in front of him at 205 pounds, he would be the most compelling matchup for Pereira.

"Say they put me at No. 10 and not No. 8 where Anthony was," Rountree said. "Okay, so from nine up, in my opinion, and I think in the fans' opinion, the most exciting fight would be me vs. Pereira. That's just...I've seen, from like comments, things like that after Alex's win [in November], I got flooded with people tagging me in things [on social media]. I think it makes sense. Two dynamic strikers, powerful strikers." 

Rountree said it would be a stand-up war, and given where he sits at this stage of his UFC career, it's almost inevitable.

At press time, the UFC has yet to respond to Rountree's request, as the newest rankings appear in the days ahead.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99