Khalil Rountree Jr. just had the fight of his life, and he predicts bigger things ahead.

First, the light heavyweight contender has to heal up after a hellacious title fight with champion Alex Pereira this past Saturday at UFC 307. Rountree took Pereira to the fourth round and was actually ahead on all three scorecards, but the bloodied challenger succumbed to a furious Pereira knockout flurry that removed the judges from the equation.

Rountree has since undergone septoplasty surgery on his nose to address injuries suffered in the fight and he went into further detail on the ordeal in an interview with Kevin Iole.

“I don’t know exactly what punch, I know that last uppercut after the body shots, that definitely landed on my nose, but I already had felt some pain in my head,” Rountree said. “It could have been from that, but after we got the scans and everything the night of the fight, the doctors saw that there was some slight fracturing and a severely deviated septum so we just went right ahead and corrected that as soon as I got home.

“Definitely the most uncomfortable, painful procedure I’ve ever had last night. It was the hardest sleep. My mouse was constantly dry, it was just a constant headache, but inside of my nose, my nasal cavity, right now is just stuffed with sponges and splints, so it’s very, very uncomfortable.”

Rountree has no regrets about standing and striking with the fearsome Pereira, especially after seeing all the respect and praise he received from fans, fighters, and media. He’ll have plenty of time to bask in this newfound admiration as he plans to take time to recover from his injuries before a potential return in early 2025.

“I’m very excited to come back and fight again, but it will probably be Q1 next year,” Rountree said. “I know that people got to see me fight, but this really showed me two things: It showed me that I’m prepared to fight at that level, but it also showed me that there’s a lot to learn and there’s a lot to grow.

“I want to come back and be very skillful and strategic and just make sure that I make the right decisions, because I’m here for a long time. I just signed a new contract prior to this fight, so I’ve got a lot more fights left and I’m in no rush.”

One potential opponent linked to Rountree is former champion Jamahal Hill. The two were scheduled to fight at UFC 303 this past June, but Rountree was removed from the card after testing positive for a banned substance, resulting in a brief suspension. Hill subsequently pulled out of the event with an injury.

Should their timetables line up, re-booking Rountree vs. Hill makes all the sense in the world, with both contenders vying for another championship opportunity.

“I think it’s almost inevitable, right?” Rountree said when asked about Hill. “I think he’s ranked No. 3, so I think anyone up there in the top 5 is kind of inevitable. So let’s see what happens, I think pretty shortly there I’ll be talking to the matchmakers and the bosses and see what they think.

“I’m here for it all. I’m not done. I’m going to continue, I hope and I believe that I’ll have another chance at fighting for the belt whether it’s Alex or whoever else if someone is able to take it from him, but yeah, I think that fight could definitely still happen.”

On his Instagram story, Pereira responded to the proposed matchup.

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TOP STORIES

Comeback? Dana White would love to see women’s MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes back in action.

Rematch. UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland could run it back soon.

Brawl. Renato Moicano wants a money matchup with Justin Gaethje.

Reunited. Alex Pereira had a hand in past kickboxing rival Artem Vakhitov winning a Contender Series contract.

Hater. Nate Diaz doesn’t think Justin Gaethje nor Dustin Poirier should be in a “BMF” tournament.

Trouble. Antonio Trocoli arrested after an incident allegedly involving Mackenzie Dern’s ex-husband.

Value. Brandon Royval is being smarter about his bookings and vows, “I’m not a cheap ass prostitute anymore.”

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VIDEO STEW

Martin and Money Moicano.

ICYMI: DWCS KOs

Get caught up on the finishes from Saturday’s UFC Vegas 98 headliners.

Max Holloway reveals his secrets.

Funky and The Champ stir the pot.

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FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR

Believe You Me. Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith break down all the action from UFC 307.

Mike Heck. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck talks to three-time Contender Series winner and new UFC roster member Torrez Finney.

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Old Man Volk is back.

Dan Hooker is in.

Po-Time?

Chama time.

Don’t do them like that, Sanko!

Now this is how you Power Slap.

Darren Till, not a Jake Paul fan.

Time flies.

Good luck taking on this trio.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Junior Tafa (5-3) vs. Sean Sharaf (4-0); UFC Vegas 98, Oct. 12

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FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s truly crazy to think how far Khalil Rountree Jr. has come from being an Ultimate Fighter runner-up (comment below if you remember who beat him. No cheating!) to UFC title challenger and now a fan favorite fighter. He always had the potential with an exciting striking style, but there were so many spots along the way where it looked like he’d be an also-ran or a never-was. Now here he is.

The question is, has Rountree peaked or are his best days ahead? Vote in the poll below and let us know your thoughts.

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EXIT POLL

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