Rivalries: Khalil Rountree

Maybe now Khalil Rountree can make his long-awaited push toward the Top 10 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.

The resurgent Syndicate MMA rep will put his three-fight winning streak on the line when he faces Chris Daukaus as part of the UFC on ESPN 51 main card this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Rountree, 33, has compiled 7-5 record inside the Octagon, his topsy-turvy run in the organization highlighted by victories over Paul Craig, Modestas Bukauskas and Karl Roberson. He last appeared at UFC Fight Night 213, where he eked out a split decision over Dustin Jacoby on Oct. 29.

As Rountree moves ever closer to his forthcoming battle with Daukaus at 205 pounds, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Andrew Sanchez

The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion cruised to a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Rountree when their light heavyweight final co-headlined “The Ultimate Fighter 23” Finale on July 8, 2016 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Scores were 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26. Sanchez struck for repeated takedowns, applied his ground-and-pound and established his superiority in top position. Rountree failed to stay on his feet for any extended period of time, as he was lured into clinches and forced to defend one takedown after another. He did almost nothing notable from an offensive standpoint in the second and third rounds. By the time it was over, Sanchez had built a 118-58 advantage in total strikes.

Gokhan Saki

Rountree took out the former Glory Kickboxing champion with punches in the first round of their UFC 226 light heavyweight showcase on July 7, 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The favored Saki bit the dust 1:36 into Round 1. Operating in the shadows of the Daniel Cormier-Stipe Miocic main event, Rountree engaged the Mike Passenier-trained Dutchman in the center of the cage and did so with fearless precision. He countered a leg kick, floored Saki with a surgical straight left and followed him to the canvas, where he finished the job with a volley of kneeling hammerfists. It was the fifth first-round finish of Rountree’s career. The eyebrow-raising performance ultimately marked the end of Saki’s brief run in the UFC.

Johnny Walker

The 6-foot-6 Brazilian entered the deep end of the mixed martial arts pool with a cannon ball, as he knocked out Rountree with a savage standing elbow in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 140 light heavyweight feature on Nov. 17, 2018 at Parque Roca Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Walker drew the curtain 1:57 into Round 1 of an utterly dazzling promotional debut. It could not have gone worse for Rountree. Walker rattled him with a head kick, forced him backward and delivered a devastating elbow from the collar tie before mopping up the rest with follow-up punches. That was all she wrote. Rountree went back to the drawing board and made the most of his time there.

Eryk Anders

Murderous leg kicks and clean power punches spurred Rountree to a lopsided unanimous decision over the ex-University of Alabama linebacker in a UFC 236 light heavyweight attraction on April 13, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. All three cageside judges scored it 30-26. Anders was under fire from the start. Rountree tenderized the inside of his lead leg throughout the first round, turned him into a stationary target and unleashed his hands. He knocked down Anders four times in Round 2, where referee Jason Herzog appeared to be on the verge of calling for the stoppage on more than one occasion. Unable to score the finish and showing signs of fatigue, Rountree eased off the gas over the final five minutes but nevertheless strung together punches and continued to hammer the inside and outside of the former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion’s already-compromised leg.

Marcin Prachnio

The Tatsujin Dojo export leaned on force and activity when he took a unanimous decision from the favored Rountree as part of the UFC 257 undercard on Jan. 23, 2021 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Prachnio swept the scorecards with 29-28 marks from all three judges. Rountree never seemed comfortable. Prachnio threw more often, landed with more regularity and attacked “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 23 finalist at all levels. However, he did not escape unscathed. Rountree staggered him with a counter right hook in the second round and a sneaky left uppercut in the third, only to fail to exploit those openings fully. Prachnio regained his faculties without much issue and continued to unleash punches with both hands until he reached the finish line. The Pole was credited with a career-high 102 significant strikes landed.