Khalil Rountree Jr. has fired back at UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev.
Rountree Jr. (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is set to face former champion Jiri Prochazka at UFC 320 on October 4—the same card headlined by the light heavyweight title fight between Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) and the man he defeated for the belt in March, Alex Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC).
Both Rountree Jr. and Prochazka have recently suffered losses to Pereira, but neither has faced Ankalaev inside the Octagon. If the Dagestani champion successfully defends his title for the first time on October 4, the winner between Rountree Jr. and Prochazka will likely be next in line for a title shot.
“He just talks shit, and I hate people that talk shit,” Rountree said of Ankalaev during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience this week. “I just don’t like it. I don’t like people who talk shit for no reason. If I didn’t say anything to you, if I’ve never f*cking mentioned your name, then why are you talking shit to me or about me or disrespecting me?”
After losing to “Poatan” at UFC 307 last October, Rountree Jr. bounced back impressively, outpointing former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill over five rounds at UFC Baku last month.
However, his performance drew mixed reactions, with Ankalaev tweeting that he had been “falling asleep” while watching the fight. Rountree Jr. believes the champion’s newfound trash-talking is an attempt to deflect from his own perceived lack of star power.
“Fight better,” Rountree said. “I hate (the trash talk). I f*cking hate it. It really bugs me. I just hate it because it’s f*cking unnecessary, and even as an adult, I had to deal with this shit my whole life and it’s a f*cking toxic way of f*cking being and it’s passing along through social media and kids are f*cking getting beat up for it and we’re f*cking grown men on a large platform where people are looking up to us for many different things and they envision us as these f*cking gladiators and this is what you’re choosing to do.
“We have a responsibility. I feel like as athletes, as champion number f*cking one, as champion, you have a responsibility. You have a belt around your waist and all these eyes and microphone and that’s what you’re going to choose to say is talk shit and degrade my name and I’m not even above you. I’m not even challenging you for a fight and you want to mention me? That, to me, is just like, dude, spend your time wisely. So in a way it’s motivation for me because I’m like, I just won’t do that. I think that there’s so many different things that can be done when you have that belt. That belt is an honor to have that. There’s a responsibility that comes with that, there’s things that you can do with that. It’s not just about you. Realize the responsibility you have when you carry that title.”
