Khalil Rountree is a new sensation in the American Mixed Martial Arts and made his debut on July 9, 2016. He is just 13 professional fights inside the cage who currently competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Although his physical appearance gives a danger zone vibe, he wants to prove himself as a warm-hearted person. Khalil stands with a southpaw stance and has a reach of 76 1⁄2 in (194 cm).
Koutree is paving his way all in all inside this controversial world. Some of the common get-to-go facts are highlighted below.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Khalil Ibn Rountree Jr. |
| Date of Birth | February 6, 1990 |
| Birth Place | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nick Name | The War Horse, Fruit Pastille |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Education | N/A |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Father’s Name | Roderick Rountree |
| Mother’s Name | N/A |
| Siblings | Donavon Frelow |
| Age | 32 Years Old |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Art(MMA) fighter |
| Division | Light Heavyweight, Middleweight |
| Affiliations | Syndicate MMA (until 2019) Tiger Muay Thai (2019–present) |
| Active Years | 2010–present |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Wife | No |
| Kids | No |
| Net Worth | Under Review |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Last Update | July, 2022 |
Appearance
Khalil is a heavy-set, athletic MMA fighter. He has a dark skin tone and a huge shoulder. He stands 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall and weighs 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb).
And He has large black eyes and lips, and his black hair is almost gone. Near his shoulders and arms, he has numerous tattoos.
Early Years | Khalil R.
Khalil was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 6, 1990, under the full name Khalil Ibn Rountree Jr. Rountree lost his father when he was only two years old, so his childhood wasn’t all glitter and gold.
Mr. Roderick Rountree, the tour manager for the American R&B vocal group Boyz II Men, was shot and killed during an attempted robbery. Khalil was consequently brought up by his single mother along with his siblings.
As a result of growing up without a father, Khalil had a challenging time becoming a man. He also developed a weight problem as he grew older and joined a band that toured the nation.
Due to a lack of guidance, they were like a confused adolescent who ate unhealthy food and smoked cigarettes.
Khalil, however, decided to make a change in his life at the age of 20 after watching The Ultimate Fighter with his brother.
He joined the Wand Fight Team gym in Las Vegas at the time and was 300 pounds at the time.
First Career
In 2011, Rountree began his MMA amateur career after completing a year of MMA training. First off, Khalil Rountree had a 6-1 record while competing in the middleweight division under the Tuff-N-Uff and King of the Cage (KOTC) banners.
He discovered his passion for fighting in the Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) before joining the UFC, where he amassed a perfect 4-0 record while competing even as an amateur.
The Best of the Best
Rountree faced Muhammed DeReese on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia in April 2016. He won the contest after knocking out DeReese in the first round.
But in the elimination round, Cory Hendricks submitted him in the first round, handing him his first defeat.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Hendricks sustained a neck injury; as a result, Rountree was reinstated by UFC president Dana White.
Hendricks was thus replaced by Rountree in the semifinal round. Rountree and Josh Stansbury squared off in the semifinal, and Khalil won by knockout to advance to the grand finale.
He was defeated when he went up against Andrew Sanchez for the TUF 23 Light Heavyweight title at the UFC The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale.
However, his fight was quite the explosion for an amateur, and it has since come to define his career.
Ultimate Fighting Championship & Fight Record
- On November 27, 2016, at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson, Khalil Rountree faced Tyson Pedro and, in the first round, lost by submission due to Tyson’s rear-naked choke.
- Following it, at UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. Korean Zombie, on February 4, 2017, Rountree faced Daniel Jolly. Herewith, he won the match via knockout in the first round.
- Later, Rountress faced Paul Craig at UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio on July 16, 2017. He also won the match with a knockout in the foremost round.
- On December 30, 2017, at UFC 219, Khalil Rountree was to face Gökhan Saki. However, Gokhan couldn’t attend the match due to his knee injury; thus, Rountree had to face Michał Oleksiejczuk, and he lost the match by unanimous decision.
However, it was disclosed that Oleksiejczuk was tested positive for clomiphene(anti-estrogenic substance); hence, the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) officially changed the result to no contest.
With all these turns of events, Khalil Rountree showcased his promising talent, and in addition to that, he started to sharpen it with some changes. Truly, he struggled to balance his personality and career choice.
Learn more about the fighter’s career and news on Tapology.
Rumors of retirement
- With his return on November 17, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 140, Rountree faced a new promotional face, Johnny Walker, and lost the fight via knockout in the first round.
- Right after it, Khalil faced Eryk Anders on April 13, 2019, at UFC 236, where he won via unanimous decision.
- After the interval of five months, on September 28, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 18, Rountree faced Ion Cuțelaba and lost in TKO in the first round.
- Khalil’ fought with Sam Alvey on March 28, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik. However, due to COVID-19, the match was postponed.
- On September 4, 2021, Khalil’s last fight against Modestas Bukauskas at UFC Fight Night 191, which he won. But he had lost the fight with Marcin Prachnio held the same year in January.
Khalil Rountree Take On
Gustafson, Alexander
Khalil has a strong commitment to “growing and glowing.” As a relative novice in the sport, Rountree wasn’t particularly interested in taking on top light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson on short notice; instead, he saw it as a fantastic chance to advance his career.
Richard Rountree
Up until the age of 13, Khalil Rountree was unaware of his father’s passing. Rountree’s real revelation was initially less shocking than it usually would have been. But as he looked into the incident more, he became furious.
Rountree used the witnesses of numerous people to gather information about his father. More inspiration and insight began to flow through him.
Khalil was able to guide himself toward self-discovery, though, and he learned how to conduct himself as a man.
Positivity
One of the most positive, well-groomed, and disciplined athletes is Khalil Ibn Rountree Jr. His optimism has a powerful contagious quality. He talks about how having a single mother as a child enabled him to develop this way of thinking early on.
Helen Harper (English strawweight) lost it during the Ultimate Fighter match, and Rountree helped her get to her feet while also calming her down.
Similar to how Harper was unable to train during the training show due to her injury, Rountree assisted her in making a visit to the doctors.
Rountree maintained his composure and patiently waited for him to finish it, even when Saki disparaged him at the time.
Khalil Rountree | Losing weight
Rountree was obese throughout his entire childhood and adolescence; his highest weight was 305 lb. He did not appear to be destined for the Prizewinning Athletic industry from any angle.
Khalil frequently traveled and was associated with the music business. Selling merchandise while on tour with metal bands like Impending Doom, The Acacia Strain, and August Burns Red was how he used to make his daily living.
His brother urged him to go for it with MMA as they crossed paths.
But when he told his colleagues in the music business about his plans, they laughed at him. They even said he would end up resembling Bob Sapp.
Despite the jabs, he worked out consistently for about 11 months and dropped 100 pounds. After that, one of the coaches kidnapped him and helped him make his MMA debut.
Life can feel like it’s beating us up sometimes, but we have to stand up and recognize who we are. (Khalil Rountree)
Current MMA Process
Muay Thai drills, according to Rountree, were the most successful and beneficial in transforming an unathletic body into an athletic one. Despite his intense conditioning training, he had his brother’s support and inspiration.
Following his MMA debut, he changed his phone number to stay away from distractions and dedicated himself fully to the most basic combat sport.
For the sake of his new way of life, his entirely new body, and everything else, he cut himself off from everyone he had known in the past.
When he was younger, Khalil Rountree wasn’t a confrontational or aggressive person; as a result, he was the target of bullying because of his appearance. He is currently in a position to respond to all the bullies, so he is quite rigid in this regard.
The American professional fighter has come a long way, but he hasn’t yet arrived at his goal or left his mark. He feels that in order to improve himself, he must do a lot of internal work.
Khalil Rountree | Martial Arts Record
| Total | 13 |
| Wins | 8 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 4 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
Khalil Rountree | Social Media
Although how fierce Khalil may look in his matches, he is a warm person with righteous behavior. To illustrate, his social media outlook will give a different and real perspective of the fighter.
| Instagram handle | @khalilrountree |
| Twitter handle | @War_Khalil |
Khalil Rountree | FAQs
What are Khalil Rountree’s likes?
Rountree enjoys dancing and listening to music. He is a fan of the Village People.
What was Khalil’s recent UFC ranking?
The fighter’s recent ranking put him in the #44 position.
Does Khalil Rountree have a match with Greg Hardy?
As per the source, there is no possibility of the match as it was just a rumor back then.
Who is Khalil Rountree’s next fight?
The War Horse’s next fight is Lithuanian-British mixed martial, Modestas Bukauskas.
Has Khalil Rountree retired?
Khalil Rountree has talked about retiring, but despite that, he signed a contract extension with UFC back in October 2020.
Is it true Khalil Rountree knocked Anderson Silva?
Khalil Rountree, who used to be Anderson Silva, once knocked out the fighter unconscious during his training for Diaz.
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