UFC Baku Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Hill Vs. Rountree
The next fight card on the UFC schedule, UFC Baku, takes place on Saturday, June 21, from Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The UFC Fight Night marks the UFC's first visit to Baku. The main event of the UFC Baku fight card finds former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill facing recent UFC 205-pound title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. Before that scrap, Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes face off in the lightweight co-main event. UFC Baku has an early start time in the US, with the main card kicking off at 3:00 p.m. ET.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 13: Jamahal Hill prepares to face Alex Pereira of Brazil in the UFC light ... More heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 300 event at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Jamahal Hill (12-3-0-1) had a 5-0 record when he appeared on a Dana White Contender Series card in July 2019. He won that fight against Alexander Poppeck by TKO in the third round. The victory earned him a UFC contract.
Hill made his official UFC debut in January 2020, winning a decision over Darko Stosic on the main card of an ESPN+ event at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. He then faced Klidson Abreu in May 2020. He initially won that bout by first-round TKO, but the result was later overturned to a no-contest because Hill tested positive for marijuana
He followed that fight with a December 2020 TKO over former interim light heavyweight title challenger Ovince Saint Preux.
Hill's unbeaten streak ended in his next trip to the Octagon, when Paul Craig ended their June 2021 fight in under two minutes by TKO.
Hill bounced back from that loss by rattling off three straight 'Performance of the Night' bonus-winning knockouts. That run earned him a shot at then-champion Glover Teixeira. Hill put on a striking clinic in that fight, battering Teixeira over five rounds to earn a one-sided decision win and the UFC 205-pound crown. That fight headlined UFC 283 in January 2023.
Misfortune ended Hill's title reign. In July 2023, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during a UFC fighter basketball game. He relinquished the title and underwent surgery to repair the injury.
Hill returned at UFC 300 in a matchup against UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira. Pereira ended that fight via knockout at the 3:14 mark of the first round.
Hill returned to the Octagon at UFC 311 when he faced former champ Jiri Prochazka on the main card. Prochazka ended that bout via TKO at 3:01 of Round 3.
Hill, the No. 4 ranked UFC light heavyweight, has seven wins by knockout and five decision victories. His three losses have come via knockout.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 09: Khalil Rountree Jr. reacts after his knockout against Anthony Smith ... More in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6-0-1) joined the UFC in July 2016 when a loss to Andrew Sanchez in the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter dropped him to 4-1 as a pro.
A submission loss to Tyson Pedro followed Rountree's defeat to Sanchez. However, Rountree went 3-0-0-1 after that setback, scoring three knockout wins in his victories. A knockout loss to Johnny Walker, who Rountree was favored to beat, ended his unbeaten streak.
A decision victory over Eryk Anders in April 2019 got Rountree back in the win column, but a TKO loss to Ion Cutelaba and a decision setback against Marcin Prachnio followed.
In September 2021, the UFC matchmakers booked Rountree against Modestas Bukauskas. He won that scrap via TKO. That win was the first of five consecutive victories for Rountree.
Rountree was scheduled to face former UFC light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill in June, but a self-reported drug test failure knocked him from that card. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Rountree 4.5 months for that drug test failure.
When Rountree returned to action it was at UFC 307 in the main event of the pay-per-view card opposite then-UFC 205-pound champion Alex Pereira. Pereira battered Rountree before ending the fight via TKO in the fourth round.
Rountree has nine knockout wins and four decision victories. His losses have come by knockout (three), submission (one) and decision (two). He is the No. 7 ranked competitor in the UFC's 205-pound weight class.
When BetOnline first published the betting lines for the UFC Baku main event, Rountree was the -135 betting favorite, while Hill came in at +115. Today, the fight is a pick 'em, with Rountree at -117 and Hill coming in at -103.
Age: 34
Height: 6' 4'
Reach: 79'
Stance: Southpaw
Age: 35
Height: 6' 1'
Reach: 76'
Stance: Southpaw
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - JUNE 18: Khalil Rountree Jr. works out for fans and media during the UFC Fight ... More Night open workout at Dinamo Square on June 18, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
The first pick, and maybe easiest pick, for this fight is the outcome, which is for Hill vs. Rountree to end via knockout.
Now, as for which fighter will score that knockout, that's where things get a little iffy. Both men have power, both men look to headhunt, but Rountree is the more well-rounded fighter. He has more tools and a deeper arsenal of weapons. He's also a bit more defensively sound than Hill.
The betting pick is for Rountree to find an opening for a counter and send Hill to the mat for a knockout win.
We will have more on the UFC Baku fight card and the Hill vs. Rountree fight as fight night nears, as well as full fight card results, reactions and highlights on fight night.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
Khamzat Chimaev reveals what he was saying to Dricus Du Plessis mid-fight at UFC 319
CHICAGO – Khamzat Chimaev beat Dricus Du Plessis soundly at UFC 319 on Saturday, and he wasn't afraid to let him know as he was doing it. Following his title-clinching victory at United Center, Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) what it was exactly that he told Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory. "I was working on him," Chimaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. "I had some cool time on there. I spoke with him. I spoke with his coach in the middle of the fight. I was happy. ... I said, 'Good job. Work harder, guys.'" A man of few words, Chimaev didn't offer up much preference as to what his first move as UFC middleweight champion will be. He declined to speculate who his next opponent will be, and said he'd fight whenever the UFC came calling with a paycheck. One thing Chimaev did elaborate on, however, was the idea that his stock may have risen in the public's eye. Many analysts speculated cardio could be an issue for Chimaev as he'd never been into the championship rounds and had slowed in a few previous fights. However, Chimaev maintained a high pace over the course of 25 minutes and put forth one of the most lopsided UFC title fights ever. "I don't care what people think about me doing my thing," Chimaev said. "How many strikes did I land on him? How many takedowns did I have in there? I didn't gas out, so now they know."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
UFC 319 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Aaron Pico nets $4,000 in debut
CHICAGO – Fighters from Saturday's UFC 319 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $301,500. The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy. UFC 319 took place at United Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+. The full UFC 319 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included: Khamzat Chimaev: $32,000 def. Dricus Du Plessis: $42,000 Lerone Murphy: $6,000 def. Aaron Pico: $4,000 Carlos Prates: $6,000 def. Geoff Neal: $11,000 Michael Page: $4,500 def. Jared Cannonier: $16,000 Tim Elliott: $21,000 def. Kai Asakura: $4,000 Baisangur Susurkaev: $4,000 def. Eric Nolan: $4,000 Michal Oleksiejczuk: $16,000 def. Gerald Meerschaert: $21,000 Loopy Godinez: $11,000 def. Jessica Andrade: $21,000 Alexander Hernandez: $16,000 def. Chase Hooper: $11,000 Drakkar Klose: $11,000 def. Edson Barboza: $21,000 Karine Silva: $6,000 def. Dione Barbosa: $4,500 Joseph Morales: $4,500 def. Alibi Idiris: $4,000 Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program's payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum's multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000. In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials. Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts: "UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev" – $301,500 "UFC on ESPN 72: Dolidze vs. Hernandez" – $205,000 "UFC on ESPN 71: Taira vs. Park" – $150,000 "UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs. de Ridder" – $191,000 "UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3" – $269,500 "UFC on ESPN 70: Lewis vs. Teixeira" – $204,500 "UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira" – $298,500 "UFC on ABC 8: Hill vs. Rountree Jr." – $155,000 "UFC on ESPN 69: Usman vs. Buckley" – $260,500 "UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2" – $320,500 "UFC on ESPN 68: Blanchfield vs. Barber" – $121,500 "UFC on ESPN 67: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo" – $203,000 "UFC on ESPN 66: Machado Garry vs. Prates" – $201,500 "UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes" – $300,500 "UFC on ESPN 65: Emmett vs. Murphy" – $161,000 "UFC on ESPN 64: Moreno vs. Erceg" – $168,500 "UFC Fight Night 255: Edwards vs. Brady" – $204,000 "UFC Fight Night 254: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2" – $173,000 "UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev" – $213,500 "UFC Fight Night 253: Kape vs. Almabayev" – $134,500 "UFC Fight Night 252: Cejudo vs. Song" – $185,000 "UFC Fight Night 251: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues" – $168,000 "UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2" – $254,500 "UFC Fight Night 250: Adesanya vs. Imavov" – $137,500 "UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Moicano" – $306,000 "UFC Fight Night 249: Dern vs. Ribas 2" – $173,500 Year-to-date total: $4,813,500 2024 total: $8,280,500 2023 total: $8,188,000 2022 total: $8,351,500 2021 total: $6,167,500 Program-to-date total: $35,830,500 This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 319 Promotional Guidelines Compliance: Aaron Pico debuts at $4,000
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
UFC 319 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Aaron Pico nets $4,000 in debut
CHICAGO – Fighters from Saturday's UFC 319 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $301,500. The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy. UFC 319 took place at United Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+. The full UFC 319 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included: Khamzat Chimaev: $32,000 def. Dricus Du Plessis: $42,000 Lerone Murphy: $6,000 def. Aaron Pico: $4,000 Carlos Prates: $6,000 def. Geoff Neal: $11,000 Michael Page: $4,500 def. Jared Cannonier: $16,000 Tim Elliott: $21,000 def. Kai Asakura: $4,000 Baisangur Susurkaev: $4,000 def. Eric Nolan: $4,000 Michal Oleksiejczuk: $16,000 def. Gerald Meerschaert: $21,000 Loopy Godinez: $11,000 def. Jessica Andrade: $21,000 Alexander Hernandez: $16,000 def. Chase Hooper: $11,000 Drakkar Klose: $11,000 def. Edson Barboza: $21,000 Karine Silva: $6,000 def. Dione Barbosa: $4,500 Joseph Morales: $4,500 def. Alibi Idiris: $4,000 Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program's payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum's multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000. In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials. Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts: Year-to-date total: $4,813,500 2024 total: $8,280,500 2023 total: $8,188,000 2022 total: $8,351,500 2021 total: $6,167,500 Program-to-date total: $35,830,500
