Sean Strickland thinks Khalil Rountree Jr. has nothing to offer Alex Pereira in their upcoming title fight.
Pereira will defend his light heavyweight title against Rountree in the main event at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Strickland is currently in Utah, helping his former foe train for his upcoming fight.
Strickland suffered a knockout loss against “Poatan” in 2022 and has since repeatedly acknowledged the Brazilian’s power and skillset. The former foes have trained together on multiple occasions. The former middleweight champ also has his own history with Rountree, having trained together in the past. Strickland first went off on Rountree for an emotional post-fight interview in 2022, calling the light heavyweight contender “a special needs adult.” Strickland has recently renewed his onslaught on Rountree leading up to UFC 307, recalling alleged instances from their past encounters.
UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
Strickland also doesn’t see Rountree getting his hand raised against Pereira at UFC 307. Rountree is coming off a vicious technical knockout win over Anthony Smith in December 2023, which was his fourth finish in a five-fight winning streak. However, Strickland doesn’t believe Rountree has the skillset to do the same to Pereira. Strickland predicts the champ will have an easy night at the office defending his crown.
“I just can’t see Khalil [Rountree] pulling it off… I remember watching him fight Anthony Smith, like I just can’t see it happening [with Pereira],” Strickland recently told Helen Yee. “I don’t think has the tools in the toolbox to beat Alex. He’s not knocking him out, he’s not outstriking him, he’s not outwrestling him. I think Alex is gonna make easy work of this fight.”
Pereira won the 205-pound title with a TKO win over Jiri Prochazka last year and has since defended it twice, against Jamahal Hill and in a rematch against “BJP.” Pereira has expressed interest in moving down to middleweight to challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the title, regardless of the outcome of his bout against Rountree.
