Alex Pereira cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats as he annihilated Khalil Rountree Jr. in their title clash at UFC 307. ‘Poatan’ once again displayed the ‘evaporating’ strength his fists held and turned the challenger into a walking ‘Benadryl’ advertisement. While Pereira appeared to have only injured his knee, ‘The War Horse’ had it much worse.  

Rountree Jr. sustained a huge gash above his eye. His nose was split open near the brows and was a fountain of blood. Even though he might have lost the fight, both the fans, as well as the UFC head honcho Dana White commended him for his tenacity and persistence. White posted a close-up picture of the American combatant and captioned it with praise, “Absolute f**kin STUD @khalilrountree”

The outpouring of admiration for Rountree Jr.’s resilience extended far beyond the octagon. From celebrities to ordinary fans, every one commended his unwavering determination. Following his valiant effort at UFC 307, Rountree Jr., visibly bloodied, received a standing ovation from the crowd. Dana White, too, lauded his performance during the post-fight press conference, proudly displaying blood on his knuckles that he attributed to Rountree Jr.’s wounds.

The 55-year-old declared, “No. Do I look busted?“ Oh, Jesus Christ! No. That’s from Khalil. Yeah. Yeah. I didn’t even see that. It’s not from me. I’ve been cold-plunging, not hitting anything, believe me. I’m too old to be hitting anything.” After the grueling match, the light heavyweight challenger was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention. ‘The War Horse’ then uploaded a picture of his ‘battle scars’ with the MMA community gushing in positive comments. 

The MMA community hails Khalil Rountree Jr. and his fortitude

Everyone saw how Rountree Jr’s face was a pool of blood with the scars inflicted by the Brazilian. The fans could not help but comment on the scene lauding the fearlessness of ‘The War Horse.’ Surprisingly, the current UFC middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis was among the barrage of fans who commented on the post. He said, “I thought both men looked incredible tonight had the first two rounds for Rountree but those low kicks added up.”

Apart from that, the fight fans were gushing about how resilient the challenger was, and one follower spoke about how fast he was healing from the brutal fight. They wrote, “He’s healing pretty fast too.” While another fan said, “That’s a lotta stitches.” Even boxing star Tyson Fury couldn’t help but hail the toughness displayed by the ‘The War Horse’. The veteran said, “We are all warriors of the modern day.” Another fan echoed the same sentiment and wrote, “May God grant that all injuries go away immediately.”

At the post-fight presser, Pereira opened up about the many difficulties he had before the bout. The two-division champion spoke to the media and revealed that he battling a visa issue and health problems, including a fever, antibiotic treatment, and a recurring rib injury. Despite these challenges, the Brazilian delivered a stellar performance and defended his crown. 

While ‘Poatan’ celebrated his triumph, Khalil Rountree Jr. faced a bittersweet defeat. Although physically injured, his tears flowed not from pain but from the disappointment of losing. In a subsequent Instagram post, Rountree Jr. expressed gratitude to Pereira for the opportunity to compete on the world stage.

The combatant wrote, “I didn’t win the title but I grew last night. Alex Pereira, thanks for helping me see that I’m ready to take on the world. You showed amazing skill, you brought out a version of me that I needed to experience. You’re the champ for a reason, much respect. But I now know what I am capable of.”

This gesture along with his endurance has made him a fan favorite overnight. On that note, a follower said, “Guy is such a warrior!” while another chimed in, “One tough thick, respect!!!”While one fan remarked that Pereira “rearranged his skull”, Rountree Jr. undeniably won the hearts of many despite his loss. Are you looking forward to his comeback? Tell us in the comments below.