Chael Sonnen shares "hot take" on Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307: "That is the worst matchup I could think of"
Chael Sonnen believes Alex Pereira is in for a tough challenge against Khalil Rountree Jr. in his next title defense. 'Poatan' will look to retain the light heavyweight title on Oct. 5 at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The fight announcement came as a surprise, as many believed No.2-ranked Magomed Anklaev was next in line for a title shot. The Russian is considered a bad matchup for Pereira, given his well-rounded skill set. However, with Ankalaev now set to fight at UFC 308, No.8-ranked Rountree Jr. was given a championship opportunity.
Rountree Jr. is a pure striker like 'Poatan', and the American is unlikely to test the Brazilian champion's grappling pedigree. Interestingly, Sonnen believes 'The War Horse' will "walk through" Pereira and that it's the "worst matchup" he could think of.
During a recent segment of the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, the UFC Hall of Famer drew a comparison between the UFC 307 headliner and pro-wrestling, saying:
"First off, let me give you the hot take of the day - Khalil Rountree is going to walk through Pereira. This is the worst matchup I could think of. This is Smackdown invading RAW and let me explain. When we think of who's going to fight for the title on pay-per-view, we think of the other guys who have won a whole bunch of fights on pay-per-view. Well, Khalil was from Smackdown, he came from the other show."
Sonnen added that Pereira's debilitating punches and kicks will create openings for Rountree Jr.:
"He is a counterfighter, and he loves when you punch or kick at him first... All those scary punches and kicks that Pereira does, that's where Rountree does his finest work."
Catch Chael Sonnen's comments on Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. below (10:05):
Khalil Rountree Jr. won't grapple with Alex Pereira at UFC 307: "I've never shot one takedown"
Seeing as Alex Pereira is one of the most dangerous kickboxers on the planet, taking him down and forcing him to grapple would appear to be the easiest route to victory.
However, Khalil Rountree Jr. is not planning to grapple with the champion and aims to give fight fans a "banger." During a recent interview with The Schmo, 'The War Horse' said:
"In my career, I've never shot one takedown, that's not in my plans. I'm here to put on an amazing fight for the fans. This one, regardless of what anybody says, this is a fight for the fans... All I can say is like expect a banger, man."
Catch Khalil Rountree Jr.'s comments on the Alex Pereira fight below (2:54):