Jamahal Hill doesn’t believe Khalil Rountree has much of a chance against Alex Pereira. ‘War Horse’, of course, is set to face the ‘Poatan’, the reigning light heavyweight champ, in the main event of UFC 307 in Utah on October 5. Hill, of course, has been a stringent critic of the matchup, given Rountree’s recent PED troubles.
And while he hasn’t changed his opinion on that count, he did admit in a recent podcast appearance on Aljamain Sterling’s podcast that he thinks their clash would be “a good fight”. In the end, however, he feels that the result is clear- Alex Pereira will knockout Rountree. Why? Because the former champ just doesn’t think Rountree has the gas tank, nor the experience to deal with a striker of Pereira’s caliber.
“100% it’s [Pereira vs. Rountree is] going to be a knockout. I don’t think, Khalil don’t have a five round gas tank… And he’s gassed at paces that were much much slower than the pace that he’s going to have to fight with Alex now. Alex is going to come out slow, he’s going to come out, take his time to kind of close in and try to find his shots. That’s what Alex like to do,” Hill told Sterling.
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However, there are some redeeming qualities that ‘Sweet Dreams’ sees in Rountree and his striking-first game, which Pereira usually feasts on. The former champ, in the same interview, felt there was at least one particular aspect which, as history has proven, would be quite a handful for ‘Poatan’ to handle, and is Rountree’s best bet.
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Hill feels Khalil Rountree’s southpaw stance would only be a saving grace against Alex Pereira
Jamahal Hill has done his homework when it comes to Alex Pereira, and for good reason—he faced ‘Poatan’ earlier this year on the UFC 300 mega-card. Like any elite fighter preparing for a title clash, ‘Sweet Dreams’ meticulously studied every aspect of Pereira’s game, searching for any possible advantage. One glaring weakness stood out to Hill: Pereira’s struggle against southpaw opponents.
In a recent conversation with ‘Aljo,’ Hill pointed out what he believes could be the key to Khalil Rountree’s success when he faces Pereira—his southpaw stance. “The things that Khalil has going for him—one, he’s a southpaw, and two, he has valuable threats from that stance,” Hill explained. According to Hill, Pereira has historically had trouble against southpaw fighters, even in his kickboxing career. “If you go and actually look at his [Pereira’s] kickboxing career, that southpaw stance gives him trouble. I haven’t seen him really dominate a southpaw with multiple threats,” Hill noted.
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However, despite these potential advantages, Hill isn’t fully convinced Rountree has what it takes to capitalize on them. His main concern? Stamina. Championship fights are grueling, and Hill worries that Rountree, for all his skill, may not have the gas tank to go the full five rounds. “There’s a reason the last two rounds are called championship rounds,” Hill reminded. Without the endurance to keep pressing Pereira, Hill fears Rountree’s efforts could be in vain.
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