When Khalil Rountree Jr.'s men's mental health advocacy sparked mockery from Sean Strickland: "He might be special needs"
Khalil Rountree Jr. previously spoke out about the important of men's mental health, which prompted UFC middleweight Sean Strickland to comment on the matter. Back in March 2022, Rountree Jr. picked up an impressive second-round TKO win over Karl Roberson and in his post-fight speech, 'The War Horse' got emotional as he discussed his journey of battling against his own mental health struggles.
He said:
"This month marks 12 years that I've been fighting MMA. I don't want to wait until I'm a champion to be able to tell my story on where I come from - being a 300-pound kid on the brink of suicide, burdened by depression, not knowing what to do with my life, not knowing where to go. I just want to be able to share that and inspire people."
Watch Rountree Jr.'s interview here:
Following the Khalil Rountree Jr.'s comments, Strickland took to social media to troll the 205-pound contender. 'Tarzan' initially labeled Rountree Jr. a 'PC Beta Male,' but took it a step further a few months later by then calling him an adult with "special needs."
He tweeted:
"Someone brought up my Roundtree interaction. I use to think he was just a male feminist who was in a cult so [sic] naturally I made fun of him because it was the right thing to do...In hindsight I think he might be special needs and is a victim. Maybe he needs help? #saveroundtree"
The former middleweight champion then followed up his post with another, saying:
"We're coming to save you Roundtree!!! @Actionman513!!!!!!"
Khalil Rountree Jr.'s wife pens heartfelt message following UFC 307 loss
In a back-and-forth battle at UFC 307, Alex Pereira successfully defended his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr., via TKO in the fourth round.
Whilst 'The War House' ultimately came up short, his performance against Pereira impressed fans, with the American even taking the first two rounds against the Brazilian. Although it wasn't quite enough, many believe Rountree Jr.'s showing will increase his stock, despite the defeat.
One person who was extremely proud of the 34-year-old was his wife, Mia Kang. Taking to socia media following the fight, Kang penned an emotional message to her husband for the courage he showed. She wrote:
"My husband [Khalil Rountree Jr.] just showed the world he is one of the baddest men on this planet. When the whole world said he didn’t deserve it he proved to us that he undoubtedly deserves to be a championship fighter. He might not have gotten the belt on his first attempt but he gained respect from the world, and no one will doubt him again."
Check out the full caption here: