'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM3tKQ//xAAiEAABAwQABwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAwQGAAIFEgcRFTFyhNL/2gAIAQEAAT8AicJyMhxbtbHNVttbTuHmpPjzPaleCcuCt46K8Putvuv/xAAXEQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhEB/9oACAECAQE/AHWbD//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATYf/aAAgBAwEBPwBkP//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Khalil Rountree Jr. recently opened up about his journey in MMA and how it helped him cope with his father's unfortunate murder. Rountree Jr. revealed the details of the murder and how it affected him before taking up MMA.
It is well documented that Rountree Jr. has overcome plenty of adversity in his personal life and has still been able to achieve success inside the octagon.
Among those struggles was not growing up with a father. 'The War Horse's' father served as a tour manager to famous group Boyz II Men and was murdered in 1992 during an attempted robbery.
In the latest episode of 'UFC Journey' ahead of his UFC Baku main event clash against Jamahal Hill, Rountree Jr. addressed his father's murder and how MMA saved him.
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Rountree Jr. said his father was murdered trying to protect himself and mentioned that it effected him as he got older until MMA helped him deal with his distress. He said:
"I was really angry that someone would take my father's life, especially in a time where I needed that father figure the most. I really had no outlet. At that time, I felt emotionally trapped. The biggest thing that I dealt with was insecurity, I was overweight, I was having suicidal ideiations more days out of the week than not... I don't really know if I would be alive if it weren't for MMA. Really, I could say MMA saved my life."
Check out Khalil Rountree Jr. comments below (2:51):
Khalil Rountree Jr. discloses his habits prior to getting into MMA
Khalil Rountree Jr. also revealed what his habits were like before entering MMA in 2010.
In the aforementioned episode, Rountree Jr. mentioned that he was living a very unhealthy lifestyle that consisted of binge eating, smoking, drinking and medication. He said:
"[I] started smoking cigarettes, I picked up drinking and on top of alcohol, pain medication. My habits were only making things worse. I felt like my heart was going to stop one night when I was falling asleep. Just felt things internally, especially in my chest area that I'd never felt before. I knew that something had to change." [3:28]
Check out UFC on TNT Sports' post featuring the first faceoff between Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jamahal Hill below:
