Dana White on Khalil Rountree getting title shot over Magomed Ankalaev: 'Timing is everything'

LAS VEGAS – Dana White addressed Khalil Rountree getting a title shot before Magomed Ankalaev.

Many such as former champions Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka were surprised to see the promotion book light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) vs. Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the UFC 307 headliner Oct. 5 at Salt Lake City.

Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) was paired up with Aleksandar Rakic Oct. 26 at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.

“(Ankalaev) wasn’t skipped over – he’s got a fight coming up,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “We were laying the fights out. Now Ankalaev’s got a fight lined up – ‘Go in there, do your thing, look great, obviously you’re next.’

“We had to make this fight card, and as you go down the line you start looking at it, Khalil Rountree makes a lot of sense and you said it yourself: No way in hell that’s not a fun one. Timing is everything – 100 percent.”

Rountree has won five fights in a row, most recently a TKO of former title challenger Anthony Smith. He was scheduled to face Hill at UFC 303 in July, but withdrew after failing a drug test. Rountree served a two-month suspension after testing positive for banned substances, including androsterone, a banned steroid.

Ankalaev is unbeaten in his past 12 fights – including a split draw against Jan Blachowicz in their vacant light heavyweight title fight in December 2022. Ankalaev vows to make himself undeniable with an emphatic win over Rakic.

“I received a lot of messages today regarding the light heavyweight title fight, my job is to smash people’s face who they put in front of me, I will destroy Rakic in Abu Dhabi and I will not be denied, I don’t need nobody to feel bad for me @danawhite @Mickmaynard2.”

I Received a lot of messages today regarding the Light Heavyweight title fight, my job is to smash people’s face who they put in front of me, I will destroy Rakic in Abu Dhabi and I will not be denied, I don’t need nobody to feel bad for me @danawhite @Mickmaynard2

— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) August 16, 2024

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.