Former two-weight title challenger, Chael Sonnen goes with the large underdog forward of UFC 307 in two months time — selecting unlikely mild heavyweight title challenger, Khalil Rountree to unravel the placing puzzle of Alex Pereira and seize the crown in Salt Lake Metropolis.
Rountree, the present quantity eight ranked mild heavyweight challenger, returns in October within the headliner of UFC 307, taking up former two-division champion, Pereira, in his first championship cost below the banner of the promotion.
Sidelined by an anti-doping violation, Rountree, a finalist on The Final Fighter, most not too long ago improved his spectacular profitable run to 5 straight fights with a powerful third spherical knockout win over former title chaser, Anthony Smith.
As for Alex Pereira, the Sao Paulo knockout artist headlined UFC 303 again in June, touchdown his second profitable protection of the 205lbs crown already this 12 months, laying out former champion, Jiri Prochazka with a spectacular second spherical high-kick knockout win.
Chael Sonnen picks Khalil Rountree to topple Alex Pereira
And regardless of opening as a substantial betting underdog to beat Brazilian favourite, Alex Pereira later this 12 months in the primary occasion of UFC 307, Rountree has acquired the backing on former title challenger, Sonnen to “stroll by” the champion with ease.
“First off, let me provide the sizzling take of the day: Khalil Rountree goes to stroll by (Alex) Pereira,” Chael Sonnen mentioned on Good Man/Unhealthy Man. “That’s the worst matchup I might consider. That is Smackdown invading Uncooked, and let me clarify. While you consider who’s going to go combat for a title on pay-per-view, we consider different guys who’ve received a complete bunch of fights on pay-per-view. Nicely, Khalil was from Smackdown. He got here from the opposite present.”
“…I’ll inform you this as a result of I don’t know the way acquainted you’re or the remainder of the followers are with Khalil, however he does his very best work when he’s being attacked by a kickboxer,” Sonnen defined. “It’s not Khalil swarming any individual or taking them down or submitting them. He’s a counter fighter, and he loves once you punch or kick at him first.”
