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Former UFC title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. was awestruck after visiting the Baku Crystal Hall. This weekend, the UFC heads to Azerbaijan for the first time, with UFC Baku. A light heavyweight bout between Jamahal Hill and Rountree Jr. headlines the fight night.
Hill is on a two-fight losing streak, having suffered knockout defeats against Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Meanwhile, Rountree Jr. last fought Pereira at UFC 307 in 2024 and lost by technical knockout.
Hill and Rountree Jr. were originally supposed to headline UFC Kansas City earlier this year. However, the former champion withdrew from the bout.
After landing in Azerbaijan and witnessing the Baku Crystal Hall, an indoor arena with a seating capacity of 12000 and standing room for 27000, 'The War Horse' was stunned. Talking about the arena and Baku, Rountree Jr. told Ariel Helwani on the latter's show:
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"I don't think anyone really expected for Baku to be as amazing as it is... The moment that I landed here, I was super excited that I said yes as quickly as I did... This place it's tremendous. I've just been in awe of everything that I've experienced here. It just feels like a special place. It's got a different energy to it. I can't even explain it."
Check out Khalil Rountree Jr.'s comments below:
Khalil Rountree Jr. reflects on loss to Alex Pereira
Last year at UFC 307, Khalil Rountree Jr. faced Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight championship and lost by round-four TKO, as mentioned before.
With precise blows,' Poatan' dismantled Rountree Jr., causing him to fall and sustain serious injuries. Despite everything, the challenger showed extraordinary courage and won his first Fight of the Night award.
In the same interview with Ariel Helwani, Rountree Jr., while talking about the loss, said:
"I've been through the fire, and although I didn't make it out victorious, I've been there and I felt that. I think that toughened me up a bit."
Check out Khalil Rountree Jr.'s comments below:
