UFC analyst dismisses Khalil Rountree Jr. as an "elite, world championship-level fighter" ahead of Jamahal Hill fight

A UFC analyst has downplayed Khalil Rountree Jr.'s abilities inside the octagon while offering his thoughts on the Californian's upcoming fight with Jamahal Hill at UFC Baku. He believes Rountree Jr. won't be able to handle Hill, predicting the former champion to prevail over the 35-year-old.

Rountree Jr. is set to return in a light heavyweight bout against Hill at UFC Baku, which will be held this weekend at Crystal Palace Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Ahead of their matchup, Din Thomas spoke to Mike Bohn and claimed that Rountree Jr. overachieved in his last octagon performance at UFC 307 against then-champion Alex Pereira:

''I'm leaning towards Jamahal Hill to knock out Khalil Rountree Jr. The reason being, Khalil Rountree looked fantastic against Alex Pereira, but that was his moment, and sometimes fighters just have that moment and then they go back to what they really are. And I'm not saying Khalil Rountree is not a great fighter. He's a very dangerous fighter, but I think he rose to the occasion with Alex Pereira.''

Thomas then backed Hill to win, citing that 'Sweet Dreams' had more weapons in his arsenal:

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''Me personally, I don't necessarily assume that's his new standard. I think he rose to the occasion, but I still think he's a good and dangerous fighter, but not an elite, world championship-level fighter. I think Jamahal Hill has that ability in him. He's a little bit longer. He's got instinctive boxing skills. I think he's going to be able to touch up Khalil Rountree as long as he can avoid the leg kicks."

Check out Din Thomas' comments below (14:55):

After an impressive five-fight win streak, 'The War Horse' received the opportunity to challenge Pereira for the 205-pound belt. He surprised everyone and put up a tough fight but suffered a devastating fourth-round knockout loss.

Jamahal Hill previews Khalil Rountree Jr. fight at UFC Baku

Jamahal Hill will look to get back to winning ways against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC Baku. In a recent fight preview posted by ESPN MMA, Hill opened up about his mentality and promised to put on a dominating display:

''I believe 100 % I need to come out and make a statement against Khalil Rountree [Jr.]. I need to show that I'm still that high level and dominant fighter that I've been... I have the ability to win a fight in multiple ways, and he has really just one way to win. He has a puncher's chance, and I believe I'm the magician here. I got all the tricks.''

Check out Jamahal Hill's comments below:

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About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena