Khalil Rountree Jr reveals the inspirations behind his custom fight shorts ahead of UFC Baku: "In honor of my martial arts journey"

Donning custom shorts, Khalil Rountree Jr. will step into the octagon this weekend at UFC Baku against former champion Jamahal Hill. These shorts were designed by the UFC, with Rountree Jr.'s suggestions.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, the former UFC title challenger disclosed that his Sak Yant tattoos from his time training in Thailand inspired a part of the design.

Check out Khalil Rountree Jr.'s shorts for UFC Baku below:

On the lower half of the shorts, his hometown of Las Vegas is represented by the rugged lines, which symbolise the mountains, and the colors (white and grey) symbolize his dual nature as a strong fighter in the octagon and a kind person outside of it. And there's more to it. He said:

"The design inspiration is a lot about me. It's got my Sak Yant tattoos that I received in Thailand, which are special to me and my martial arts journey, and my style. So I wanted to put that representation of how much Thailand means to me, how much Muay Thai means to me, and my tattoos that I got in honor of my martial arts journey and that journey through Thailand."

Rountree Jr. added:

"And then I put some mountains on the legs, which represent Las Vegas, my home… I wanted a piece of me and Vegas on my shorts."

About the Yin-Yang symbol on the shorts, he said:

"A lot of people talk about me or people who know me, maybe my fighting style is known as violent or aggressive, but if people know then they are like 'oh man, you're so different in person than you're in the cage.' And that's just life. I do see a lot of contrasting things, and just like the duality of life, and also just doing my best to find balance throughout my journey, and that's why the shorts are split in half like yin and yang."

Check out Khalil Rountree Jr.'s comments below (3:17):

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Alex Pereira weighs in on Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. bout

Alex Pereira has shared the octagon with both Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. and emerged victorious. In a recent interview with UFC Canada, 'Poatan' weighed in on the impending UFC Baku headliner and claimed that 'The War Horse' will have some advantages against 'Sweet Dreams.'

Pereira said:

"They're both great fighters and well rounded. I fought them both. So I can say something more accurate. They're both dangerous but I think by my fight against Khalil, I see him having some advantages against Jamahal. That's my opinion."

Check out Alex Pereira's comments below: