Latest news with #KhalilRountreeJr.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 320 bout
Jiri Prochazka will look to get one more step closer to reclaiming UFC light heavyweight gold when he takes on former title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 320. Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. preview Prochazka (31-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is back on the hunt for the light heavyweight title. In his first appearance of 2025, he stopped fellow former champ Jamahal Hill in the third round on the main card of UFC 311. The result put Prochazka back into the win column after a title challenge loss to Alex Pereira in a rematch at UFC 303 last June. Prochazka won the UFC title by submitting Glover Teixeira at UFC 275, and later vacated due to injury. Rountree Jr. (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is also on the path toward another shot at the division's title. He also enters this matchup on the heels of a win over Hill, whom he defeated by unanimous decision in the main event of the promotion's first trip to Baku, Azerbaijan, in June. Rountree Jr. earned his first crack at gold after a five-fight winning streak, which came against Pereria at UFC 307 – a fight he lost by TKO in the fourth round. Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. odds According to FanDuel, former champion Prochazka is a -196 favorite to defeat Rountree Jr., who is a +152 underdog. How to watch Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 320 Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view When: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, June 24: Khalil Rountree Jr. enters top 5
The UFC's first trip to Azerbaijan featured an important light heavyweight contest in the main event. Former title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. stuck, moved, and chopped away at the legs of former champion Jamahal Hill en route to a clear unanimous decision victory. Coming into the event, Rountree Jr. was ranked No. 8 in the light heavyweight division, but after the big win, he moves inside the top 5 at No. 4. On the prelims, flyweight Tagir Ulanbekov picked up a win over Azat Maksum by unanimous decision. Ulanbekov's four-fight winning streak is strong enough to enter the top 10 of the 125-pound division. Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mick Maynard's Shoes: What's next for Khalil Rountree Jr. after UFC on ABC 8 win?
Khalil Rountree Jr. proved he's levelled up to an elite tier on Saturday when he thoroughly defeated former champion Jamahal Hill at UFC on ABC 8. Rountree Jr. (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) rebounded from a title-fight loss to then-champ Alex Pereira in October by methodically breaking down Hill (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) over for the course of five rounds for a unanimous decision in the headliner at Baku Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan. Although he claimed his worth for a title shot post-fight, it might not be that easy for Rountree Jr. What's next? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis after his UFC on ABC 8 win. Khalil Rountree Jr. wants a title shot after his UFC Baku win over Jamahal Hill, but is it realistic? We break it down.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 8 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Curtis Blaydes among $16,000 earners
BAKU – Fighters from Saturday's UFC on ABC 8 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $155,000. 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 on ABC 8 takes place Saturday at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+. The full UFC on ABC 8 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included: Khalil Rountree Jr.: $16,000 def. Jamahal Hill: $11,000 Rafael Fiziev: $11,000 def. Ignacio Bahamondes: $6,000 Curtis Blaydes: $16,000 def. Rizvan Kuniev: $4,000 Myktybek Orolbai: $4,500 def. Tofiq Musaev: $4,000 Nazim Sadykhov: $4,500 def. Nikolas Motta: $6,000 Muhammad Naimov: $6,000 vs. Bogdan Grad: $4,000 Seokhyeon Ko: $4,000 def. Oban Elliott: $4,500 JunYong Park: $11,000 def. Ismail Naurdiev: $6,000 Daria Zhelezniakova: $4,000 def. Melissa Mullins: $4,500 Klaudia Sygula: $4,000 def. Irina Alekseeva: $4,000 Tagir Ulanbekov: $6,000 def. Azat Maksum: $4,000 Mohammed Usman: $6,000 def. Hamdy Abdelwahab: $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 $7,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $17,000; 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 20-40 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials. Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts: Year-to-date total: $3,378,000 2024 total: $8,280,500 2023 total: $8,188,000 2022 total: $8,351,500 2021 total: $6,167,500 Program-to-date total: $34,395,500 UFC on ABC 8 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC's deal with Venum. UFC on ABC 8 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay:
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Khalil Rountree Jr. responds to Magomed Ankalaev's criticism of UFC on ABC 8 decision win
Khalil Rountree Jr. calls for Magomed Ankalaev to mind his own business following UFC Baku. Khalil Rountree Jr. was annoyed by the reaction the UFC light heavyweight champion had to his latest win. Rountree (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC), who defeated Jamahal Hill by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC on ABC 8 on Saturday, drew a four-word response from Magomed Ankalaev: "I am falling asleep." That was what Ankalaev wrote on X during Rountree's dominant win in Baku, Azerbaijan. "It's expected," Rountree said at the UFC on ABC 8 post-fight press conference. "That guy talks more about me than I talk about him. He says so much. It's like, 'Bro, you're the champion. Why are you talking about me? Get away. Go enjoy being the champion. Quit talking about me on Twitter.' Gosh. No more Ankalaev questions today. If you ask me, I'm putting the mic down." Rountree had plenty of success, fighting Hill. He connected clean multiple times, and mauled Hill's leg with kicks. However, there were periods of inactivity and times when Rountree was circling away from the former champion and not engaging, being up on the scorecards. Some online felt he could've done more to look for a finish. Despite the criticism, Rountree, who was coming off TKO loss to Alex Pereira last October, was actually very happy with his performance, as he intentionally wanted to fight the way he did on Saturday. "I think the fight was great. I was patient. I took my time. I stayed as safe as I could stay, still while defending myself and protecting myself and securing the rounds," Rountree said. "I thought that it was well thought-out. I thought that I had phenomenal coaching, a great game plan, and I thought I kept my composure in moments that I wanted to just rush and try to finish. I held myself back for the sake of going the distance and gaining more experience in the octagon."
