Khalil Rountree Jr was left battered, bloody and bruised after his TKO loss to light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC 306 on Saturday night, but the challenger gave a good account of himself in the fight and is now focusing on the positives from his performance.
“I didn’t win the title but I grew last night,” Rountree Jr. wrote on Instagram yesterday.
“@alexpoatanpereira thanks for helping me see that I’m ready to take on the world. You showed amazing skill, you brought out a version of me that I needed to experience. You’re the champ for a reason, much respect. But I now know what I am capable of.
“#saltlakecity you guys were amazing and gave me such a memorable experience. I appreciate all of the positive messages from everyone around the world. @danawhite @espn @espnmma and the entire @ufc staff, thanks for giving me a home, a place to have purpose and providing me with challenges to overcome.
“Big thanks to my wife @miakang, my family (Donny, Dave, P, all of my uncles and aunts, The Pavlica’s, the Ramseys, Everyone) for your unconditional support. Brazil you guys have a strong champion, be proud.
“I will take time to heal from this, I’ll be back even better, it’s inevitable. I’m grateful. Never give up on yourself, always fight hard, uplift your communities and find ways to make the most out of life. @deltacenter thanks for hosting us. #ufc307 was a night to remember.”
Rountree has earned a lot of plaudits for giving Pereira a competitive fight and even earned praise from boxing ace Tyson Fury, who wrote, “We don’t play in the fight game. Warriors of the modern day,” alongside a photo of the UFC fighter’s swollen, bloodied face after the fight.
Dana White also gave Rountree respect for the way he approached the fight.
“He had no fear from the first round,” White said post-fight. “Khalil Rountree went in there and started going at it the minute the bell rang. No fear, no jitters, no nerves. Maybe he had some jitters and nerves, if he did, he didn’t show it.
“He went right in against one of the baddest dudes of all time and just started mixing it up with him. It was awesome.”
