Khalil Rountree Jr. will step into the Octagon once again at UFC Baku in a high-stakes clash against former champ Jamahal Hill. But behind the power in his hands and the fire in his eyes lies a deeply personal story, one rooted in loss, resilience, and family.
Before ‘The War Horse’ became a top 10 light heavyweight in the UFC, he was a 305-pound teenager lost in depression, soda, and self-destruction. But someone, and something, pulled him back from the edge. And it all traces back to a tragedy that shaped the fighter he would one day become.
All we know about Khalil Rountree’s father?
“My father lived a great life. He was a very respectable man and he did a lot for the people around him… A lot of things I learned about my father were from stories people told about him… I just always had that in the back of my mind when looking for inspiration to be a man,” Rountree once said.
Khalil Rountree Jr. was just two when he lost his father, Roderick ‘Khalil’ Rountree, in a shooting incident. This means that the California native never knew his father and had to figure out what it meant to be a man by himself with some help from his brother. And what a role model Roderick would have been.
Khalil’s father was not only the long-time manager for Grammy-winning R&B group Boyz II Men but was also a universally respected member of his community. Shockingly, he passed away back in 1992 at the Gold Coast Hotel in Chicago when he was on tour with the group.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Roderick was killed when he went out to investigate a disturbance in the hallway by three unknown men. In order to make sure things didn’t escalate, Khalil ushered the three men into an elevator, hoping to get them out. And that was the last thing he would do in his life—try to keep the peace and make sure there was no trouble, another indication of the type of man he was. Roderick never made it out of the elevator. He was struck by the bullet when the doors shut.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 09: Khalil Rountree Jr. reacts after his knockout against Anthony Smith in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
But that wasn’t the story Khalil was told by his mother. Fearing the emotional impact it would have on the young Khalil, Khalil’s mother told him that Rountree Sr. passed away due to an illness. Eventually, when Khalil was eleven or thirteen, he would find out the truth.
The truth did mess with his head since he felt that his father was set up. ‘War Horse’ has spoken about how that led to very real anger, which he carried for a long time. And like many teens who go through such a traumatic revelation, Rountree could have acted out and gone bad.
But his father saved him from that fate. Khalil would fondly remember how people, often strangers, would walk up to him and tell him about how his father had helped them. Just hearing about what kind of a guy his late father was was enough for the UFC star, who became determined to follow his father’s example. Fortunately, he had the rest of his family to help him through the journey of becoming the kind of person his father would be proud of.
Rountree’s mother, brother & family
In the wake of his father’s death, Khalil Rountree’s world shrunk to the walls of a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles. His mother, Taryn Moret, and his stepbrother, Donavon Frelow. became his rocks. After one UFC win, a teary-eyed Rountree admitted all he wanted was to give her a better life. But it was Frelow who introduced Khalil to MMA and helped keep him from going over the edge.
Frelow had his own journey. He lost his stepfather, Rountree Sr., at age 7. His uncle stepped in as a male role model, guiding him into sports. Eventually, he found MMA and introduced it to his younger brother.
“He was the one giving me guidance and wisdom from a male point of view. My brother (Rountree) didn’t even really get to know his father, and I also didn’t grow up with my father.” Frelow once reflected.
Together, the brothers bonded over old PRIDE FC games on Sega Dreamcast. One day, Frelow found himself training at Wanderlei Silva’s gym, the same place where Khalil would eventually begin his martial arts journey at 19. Yet there was still a massive hurdle in his way.
‘The War Horse’ wants to honor his late father
By age 19, Rountree had hit rock bottom. Weighing over 300 pounds, chain-smoking, and battling thoughts of giving up, he was a shadow of the fighter he would become. But one night, he saw Frelow watching The Ultimate Fighter, and something inside him clicked. He later revealed, “I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s what I want to do.’ …. It was a a mixture of being exposed to MMA and a feeling of just wanting to explode or give up. That was at 19 and that’s when I decided I’m gonna start.”
He started training Muay Thai at Silva’s gym. He quit smoking. He dropped 100 pounds in 11 months. And within a year, he became a fighter. Now, after becoming a fighter worthy of being considered amongst the UFC’s elite, Rountree carries more than just dreams into the cage. He carries the memory of his father, a man he never truly knew, but one whose legacy still guides his every step.
In a Facebook post from 2017, to celebrate his late father’s birthday, ‘The War Horse’ wrote, “Happy 60th birthday big man. My love for you is immense. All I could think about was you last night. Thank you for giving me your name, guiding me through life and always being with me in spirit. I know you’re up in the clouds wearing your rountree jr. Jersey more proud than ever. Big hugs to you on this day. My heart and soul. Love you dad.”
At UFC Baku, Khalil Rountree isn’t just chasing victory. Every jab, every kick, every step forward is a tribute to the man he never got to know but still honors with every breath.
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