Life can be too unpredictable when you are one of the top MMA faces in UFC. At one point, you are the light-heavyweight champion, and then you fall from grace, struggling to return to the altar again. That’s what happened with Jamahal Hill after he relinquished his belt due to his injury. After returning to the MMA world, he was pitted against the champ, Alex Pereira, at UFC 300; however, he was knocked out by the Brazilian in the very first round. Do you think this was worse? Well, he was subjected to a severe backlash from the fans due to his refusal to give ‘Poatan’ the credit of his victory.
Then again, the UFC threw him right back into the fire against former champion Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311, where he suffered another brutal knockout loss. With back-to-back defeats, Dana White still granted him a shot at redemption against Khalil Rountree Jr. However, fate had other plans—‘Sweet Dreams’ was forced to withdraw due to injury. And what does ‘The Warhorse’ think about this? Well, the former title challenger isn’t just disappointed—he’s downright frustrated.
While discussing with his viewers on his YouTube handle, Khalil Rountree Jr narrated the story of how the UFC just called him to inform about the Jamahal Hill fate without any explanation: “So, I just got off the phone with the UFC, and it appears that Jamahal Hill is injured and not able to fight in Kansas City on the 26th of April. Getting the news that the fight was postponed, I was very surprised. I had a lot of guys here helping me out, getting prepared for the fight, so it’s a little upsetting because, in my mind, we were a little less than four weeks out—getting my mind straight and, you know, getting ready for war.”
He further added, “And then, it’s kind of like someone poked a hole in the balloon, you know? To the fans who bought tickets or made flight arrangements and anyone who was looking forward to watching this fight on April 26th, I’m sorry. It’s part of the fight game, but that’s still no excuse. I understand that it’s upsetting, so hopefully, I will be back in there soon to entertain you guys.”
Khalil Rountree Jr’s frustration is unmistakable—he’s been itching for a fight ever since his war with Alex Pereira. But why did Jamahal Hill withdraw yet again? According to sources, the former light heavyweight title challenger was forced to pull out due to a lingering leg injury. ‘Sweet Dreams’ has been suffering from leg ailments since he ruptured his Achilles tendon, and this has become a concern for him.
They should have fought back at UFC 303, however, Rountree Jr was suspended from the promotion for months due to substance abuse, and Jamahal Hill pulled out due to injury. Has the UFC rebooked this fight? Actually, yes. According to sources, the promotion is looking to book a ‘Sweet Dreams’ vs. ‘The War Horse’ fight for UFC’s debut in Azerbaijan. This would be the third time the UFC tried to pit them both against each other.
Moment of thought: Tony Ferguson was never the same after he tripped on the wires and required surgery. He went on to suffer back-to-back losses, the longest losing streak in UFC history. Jamahal Hill might be on a similar path, as he has already lost two fights since his comeback, having returned from an injury.
With Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr out of the UFC Kansas City endeavor, what’s next for the UFC? Will they bring in any big fighter for the fans? Well, they already have.
What’s next for UFC Kansas City after Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.’s exodus?
When a high-profile fight gets canceled, Dana White wastes no time rushing to his war room, determined to deliver the next best matchup for the fans. Fighters pulling out of bouts is nothing new, but the trend of last-minute withdrawals—especially as fight night looms—has been on the rise ever since the chaos of UFC 294. With Jamahal Hill pulling out of his clash against Khalil Rountree Jr at the very last minute, the UFC CEO had no choice but to call up the next best fight.
Who are those, you might ask? It is none other than the Irish hotshot Ian Garry and welterweight rising star Carlos Prates. Now, you might ask, Prates was going to face Geoff Neal at UFC 314, so how is he going to fight ‘The Future’ at UFC Kansas City? Well, Neal pulled out of his fight against Prates due to injury, and UFC had no other choice but to put him against Ian Garry at UFC Kansas City.
This would be Prates’ debut as a headliner and Garry’s second. ‘The Future’ is coming off a loss against Shavkat Rakhmonov, and this fight is a must-win fight for him. Given that, will Ian Garry prove his mettle against Carlos Prates, who is yet to concede defeat under the UFC banner or will it be another career loss for ‘The Future’? State your thoughts in the comments below.
The post “Still No Excuse”- Khalil Rountree Breaks Silence Amid Jamahal Hill Fight Rebooked After UFC Kansas City: Garry vs Prates Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.