What Should Be Next for Khalil Rountree After UFC 320?

What Should Be Next for Khalil Rountree After UFC 320?13 hours ago

At UFC 320 in Las Vegas, Khalil Rountree faced former champion Jiří Procházka in a pivotal light heavyweight contender bout. Rountree looked sharp early, showcasing his striking and defensive awareness, and took a two-round lead on all scorecards. However, Procházka turned the tide in the third, unleashing a furious offensive barrage and finishing Rountree by knockout at 3:04 of the final round. Despite the setback, Rountree's performance demonstrated he remains a force in the division’s upper echelon.

The next logical step for Rountree is a matchup against Dominick Reyes. Reyes, a former title challenger himself, is coming off a loss to Carlos Ulberg but owns recent knockout wins over Nikita Krylov, Anthony Smith, and Dustin Jacoby. Both fighters are explosive strikers looking to bounce back into title contention, making this a can’t-miss clash stylistically and in divisional stakes. For Rountree, defeating Reyes would solidify his status as a top-tier contender. For Reyes, a win would mark a successful rebound after a rollercoaster run in the division.

Stylistically, this matchup is fireworks. Rountree brings devastating Muay Thai, crushing kicks, and knockout power in both hands, while Reyes offers slick southpaw movement, a piston left hand, and proven finishing ability. Expect heavy exchanges, technical violence, and a strong possibility of a highlight-reel conclusion as both look to climb back toward the belt.

Last Five Fights – Khalil Rountree:

1. Loss to Jiří Procházka – KO (punches), UFC 320 (October 4, 2025)
2. Win over Jamahal Hill – KO (punch), UFC Fight Night (June 21, 2025)
3. Win over Anthony Smith – KO (punches), UFC on ESPN (December 9, 2024)
4. Win over Azamat Murzakanov – Decision (unanimous), UFC 303 (June 29, 2024)
5. Loss to Alex Pereira – KO (strikes), UFC 291 (July 29, 2023)

Last Five Fights – Dominick Reyes:

1. Loss to Carlos Ulberg – KO (punches), UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs. Reyes (September 28, 2025)
2. Win over Nikita Krylov – KO (punch), UFC 314 (April 12, 2025)
3. Win over Anthony Smith – TKO (elbows and punches), UFC 310 (December 7, 2024)
4. Win over Dustin Jacoby – KO (punches), UFC on ESPN (June 8, 2024)
5. Loss to Ryan Spann – KO (punches), UFC 281 (November 12, 2022)

A showdown between Rountree and Reyes is the ideal crossroads fight that could propel the winner toward another crack at the top of the light heavyweight division.