Khalil Rountree Jr. says UFC light heavyweights are “all kinda screwed” if Khamzat Chimaev moves up after #UFC328.
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Khamzat Chimaev might move up to 205 lbs.
UFC light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree Jr. said that the 205 lbs division is ‘screwed’ if Khamzat Chimaev moves up in weight.
The undefeated Chimaev returns to the Octagon next weekend at UFC 328 when he takes on rival Sean Strickland with his UFC middleweight title on the line. If Chimaev is successful in victory, there have been rumblings that he will vacate his title and move up to the light heavyweight division. If that happens, then one of the division’s top fighters says everyone at 205 lbs is screwed.
Speaking to reporters in Las Vegas, the No. 5-ranked light heavyweight Rountree Jr. gave his honest thoughts on the very real possibility of Chimaev moving up to 205 lbs.
“I feel many different ways (about Chimaev moving up). When I first heard the news, I was like a bit bummed out, really, just to know that a guy like Khamzat would come to the division, and that could be a potential matchup if that happened, it doesn’t make me happy to think about that,” Rountree said.
“I just told you, training with this guy, he’s one of the best in the world. It’s difficult. It’s difficult in all areas, in standup, in grappling. No one gets an easy round with Khamzat. It doesn’t matter what weight class, what size. So, that’s what my initial thoughts were. Like, damn, if he made the move up, we’re all kinda screwed. Yeah, that’s how I look at it,” Rountree said.
Khalil Rountree Jr. says UFC light heavyweights are “all kinda screwed” if Khamzat Chimaev moves up after #UFC328.
Although nothing is official yet, there have been some rumors linking Rountree to a fight against former UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev in his next bout. Both men are coming off losses to former champions, with Rountree having been knocked out by Jiri Prochazka in his last fight, while Alex Pereira stopped Ankalev. Despite those losses, however, both men are still ranked in the top five of their weight class, so this pairing makes a ton of sense.
The UFC brass is said to be big fans of Rountree, who is one of the top strikers in the weight class. He is almost always in exciting fights, win or lose, so it’s easy to see why the promotion has been pushing him in big fights the last few years. While Rountree hasn’t broken through yet and become a champion, he has remained remarkably consistent and has proven that he is among the division’s elite fighters. If he beat Ankalaev, it would show everyone that Rountree is ready to fight for the UFC light heavyweight title for a second time, after he lost to Pereira in his only UFC title fight to date in 2024.
The winner of a potential Rountree vs. Ankalaev fight would be in line to potentially fight Chimaev for an interim title if new UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg can’t return anytime soon due to recently undergoing knee surgery. There’s also the possibility that Chimaev could fight Paulo Costa, another light heavyweight contender who recently called him out.
Adam Martin Adam Martin is a sports journalist with over 15 years of experience. He has a speciality in MMA, while also covering the Big 4 Sports. Adam is currently a contributor to Heavy.com, with previous experience working for The Toronto Star, Sportsnet, theScore, Bookies, BJPenn.com, and MMAOddsbreaker.com. More about Adam Martin
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