Alex Pereira is in a great place to weigh in on this weekend’s main event having faced both of the men involved last year.
‘Poatan’ has achieved incredible things inside the Octagon with Pereira proving Dana White’s doubts wrong with his success.
His run in 2024 in particular was spectacular with the former light heavyweight and middleweight champion becoming a huge star for the UFC.
He defended the title three times last year, before losing the belt to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, beating Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr.
Now, Hill and Rountree Jr are set to face off for the first time when the MMA leader lands in Baku for the first time on June 21.
Alex Pereira gives Khalil Rountree Jr. the edge in Jamahal Hill main event clash
The #4-ranked Jamahal Hill is in big need of a win on June 21 having suffered consecutive knockout losses to Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka since he returned from the injury that forced him to vacate the light heavyweight title.
His opponent in Baku, the #7-ranked Khalil Rountree Jr., is also looking to bounce back from a defeat having not fought since his loss to Pereira at UFC 307 last October.
Both men have done their best work inside the Octagon when keeping the fight standing and putting opponents away with the power in their hands.
This didn’t work out well for them against ‘Poatan’, which isn’t necessarily surprising given the incredible kickboxing pedigree that he brings to the table.
In a recent video posted by UFC Canada on X, Pereira gave his prediction for the main event, using his experience of fighting them to sway his prediction.
“They’re both great fighters and well rounded. I fought them both, so I can say something more accurate. They’re both dangerous but I think, by my fight against Khalil, I see him having some advantage against Jamahal. That’s my opinion.”
Based on his fights against them, it’s not surprising that Alex Pereira picked Khalil Rountree Jr. over Jamahal Hill
While no two fights are ever the same, it makes clear sense why Alex Pereira would pick Khalil Rountree Jr. to beat Jamahal Hill based on his previous encounters with them.
Rountree Jr. was stopped in the fourth round at UFC 307 but he did have some success earlier in the fight with all three judges giving him the first two rounds after he came into the matchup as a huge underdog.
We have four rounds of Pereira vs Rountree Jr. to look at compared to just over three minutes that Hill’s fight with the former champion lasted but here’s how the opening rounds of both fights compare.
| Statistics for Round 1 against Alex Pereira | Jamahal Hill – UFC 300 | Khalil Rountree Jr. – UFC 307 |
| Significant Strikes Landed | 12 | 10 |
| Significant Strikes Attempted | 22 | 42 |
| Significant Strikes Absorbed | 24 | 15 |
| Round Outcome | Knockout loss at 3:14 | 10-9 to Rountree Jr. |
A win will be massive for either man but after Rountree Jr.’s stock seemingly went up after his loss to Pereira, there is more on the line for Hill on June 21.