As UFC 307 approaches, predictions surrounding the headline fight between light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and ranked #8 contender Khalil Rountree Jr. are amplifying. Despite being labeled the underdog by oddsmakers, Rountree Jr. is still favored by some analysts, including Chael Sonnen, who boldly predicted a month ago, “Khalil Rountree is going through Pereira.”

While this assertion faced criticism from other analysts, Rountree Jr. is gaining traction among predictors. Recently, BMF titleholder Max Holloway weighed in on the matchup. ‘Blessed’ openly discussed Rountree Jr.’s life-threatening moves, suggesting they could be ‘Poatan’s’ ‘kryptonite.’

Max Holloway alarmed Alex Pereira ahead of his clash at UFC 307

Max Holloway is currently gearing up to face UFC featherweight king Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, which is happening in the same month as UFC 307. Despite being only a few weeks away from his own event, ‘Blessed’ seems more excited about the Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. fight. This was recently evident on Holloway’s YouTube channel, where he broke down the UFC headline event while anticipating Pereira’s win in the upcoming fight.

However, he did not completely ignore Khalil Rountree, emphasizing Rountree Jr.’s potential victory under one condition: the oblique kick. He stated, “I already know what Khalil Rountree is going to do. I’ll tell you guys this much: Khalil Rountree is going to try and stop Alex’s leg kick with that front oblique kick.”

Holloway then referenced Rountree Jr.’s 2021 fight against Modestas Bukauskas, where Rountree Jr. used the oblique kick on his opponent, sending him into a hiatus that kept him out of the game for almost two years.

Even though Bukauskas bounced back from the deadly oblique kick, not everyone is that lucky. Former UFC star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson highlighted the factors surrounding this controversial move on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast last summer, explaining how the oblique kick ended his glorious career.

Joe Rogan shared his thoughts on the deadly ‘oblique kick.’

Way back before Khalil Rountree Jr. made his debut in the UFC, heavyweight king Jon Jones was an active user of these formidable, career-ending oblique kicks. One of his victims was Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who once ruled the light heavyweight division. However, after clashing with Jon Jones, Jackson’s life changed due to the injury he sustained during the fight in the form of an oblique kick.

Remembering the incident on the JRE MMA Show, Jackson stated, “He’s really good at those leg kicks. Those oblique kicks too.” After recalling the pain and misery caused by the oblique kicks, Jackson vowed to ban these illegal moves if he ever started his own MMA promotion. Upon hearing this, Joe Rogan criticized oblique kicks, calling them the biggest setback for athletes and promotions from a business standpoint. He claimed, “It’s definitely not good for business, but it’s still legal. It’s legal right now. So, it’s hard to say. I see the point that you shouldn’t be allowed to target the knees.”

What are your thoughts on Max Holloway? Do you think Khalil Rountree Jr.’s oblique kick can damage Alex Pereira’s knee, given that he has spent almost a decade in kickboxing promotions? Drop your opinion below.