#8 ranked light-heavyweight fighter Khalil Rountree Jr. is currently on a roll in the division. The 34-year-old is unbeaten in his last five fights, with four victories coming via knockout. However, ‘The War Horse’ was never this force of nature in his early days. Surprisingly, the number one contender was once battling with depression and weight issues.

In most of his interviews, the 34-year-old accepted that he never had a healthy lifestyle. Now, Rountree Jr. is a source of inspiration for many out there who want to make a name for themselves in the field of MMA. Let us take a closer look at how ‘The War Horse’ turned around his fortunes with sheer hard work and dedication.

When Khalil Rountree Jr. was battling with depression and weight issues

Khalil Rountree Jr. is all set to feature at UFC 307 and will be taking on Alex Pereira for the light-heavyweight title. Who would have thought that a young boy weighing 300 pounds would once be challenging for the title? For people who don’t know, Rountree Jr. did not have the best of childhood. At just two years old, he lost his father, who was murdered, as revealed by him while speaking to the promotion before his UFC 307 fight.

Losing his father at such a young age had a massive impact on him, and Rountree Jr. lost track of his life. He took up bad habits and started smoking from a very young age and relied on fast food for his survival. The 34-year-old keeps a very low profile and doesn’t share much about his personal life. However, after his UFC Vegas 50 victory, ‘The War Horse,’ during an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, shared his childhood misery. He said, “I’d say at the height of my depression and downward spiral, I was 19,”

Rountree Jr. further added, “About 19 is when everything started to hit me. People were going to college, some people were getting jobs, and I was living in a one-bedroom apartment with my mom, my brother, my niece, my sister, struggling to make $750 rent every month. I had no idea what I wanted to be in life, or what I wanted to do, or what I could even do, because at the time, 19 years old, 305 pounds, two packs of cigarettes a day, soda only, if someone had pills I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll take some,’ not even knowing what they are, really just lost with no hope and I didn’t even care.” 

‘The War Horse’ then pointed out how watching The Ultimate Fighter sparked a change in him, and he decided to take charge in his own hands. During this journey, his brother played a significant role in enrolling him at Wand Fight Team gym. But what exactly did he do to lose this much weight? Let us find out.

How did Khalil Rountree Jr. lose weight?

Khalil Rountree Jr.’s weight loss journey, just like most, was not at all easy. Overweight and with hardly any prior experience of MMA, the 34-year-old initially started training in local gyms. However, he and his brother decided to join the Wand Fight Team Gym, which proved to be a life-changing affair. Currently, the light-heavyweight fighter is an all-round fighter with all the weapons in his arsenal. From being a deadly striker to having high-level grappling, Rountree Jr. has everything.

However, he first took up Muay Thai and trained under the guidance of Michael Costa, who played a huge role in developing his love for the sport and, during his first interaction, motivated the 34-year-old. However, after staying consistent with his training, he lost around 100 pounds in eleven months and was then featured in his first amateur fight. ‘The War Horse’ further narrated his story and said, “I lost 100 pounds in 11 months.” 

“Three months of just going to training and telling myself, ‘Today, I’m not gonna smoke.’ That was the thing. Those vices were obviously wanting to creep back in but I had to take it day by day and say, ‘You know what, today I’m not gonna do it.'”After successfully transforming, Rountree Jr. has become a source of inspiration for many youngsters. He has shown the world that with sheer hard work and dedication, everything is possible. Now, as he prepares for his upcoming battle, we take a look at his walk-around weight.

What is Khalil Rountree Jr.’s walkaround weight now?

Khalil Rountree Jr. is, without a doubt, one of the hardest-working fighters in the division. His social media is full of his training videos and it seems he stays in shape all year long. Rountree Jr. works out four days a week, as he revealed during his conversation on the Jaxxon Podcast five months ago. During the show, ‘The War Horse’ surprised everyone when he pointed out that he didn’t cut much weight before his fights.

In most fights, he weighs in at 207 -208 pounds without having much trouble making weight. Rountree Jr. is now dialed in for the toughest fight of his career as he prepares to take on Alex Pereira. This will be the Brazilian’s third title defense of the year 2024. In his last two fights, he decimated his opponents in the first and second rounds, respectively. However, this might not be the case when he takes on the #8 ranked fighter. Many experts feel Rountree Jr. might just pull off a surprise at the UFC 307 main event fight.

Predictions have started to flow in for the clash, and the battle is evenly poised at the moment. So, who do you think will win the fight between the two? Let us know your picks in the comments below.