Kamaru Usman predicts Khalil Rountree ‘shocks the world’

Kamaru Usman sees Khalil Rountree pulling off an enormous upset at UFC 307.

Rountree challenges gentle heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in Saturday’s UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) headliner at Delta Heart in Salt Lake Metropolis.

With Rountree (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vowing to not shoot any takedowns, many see him as a good matchup for Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC). However Usman has a intestine feeling that Rountree will shock everybody – particularly for the reason that battle is in Utah, the place Usman misplaced his welterweight title in beautiful trend to Leon Edwards at UFC 278.

“I’m going to shock everyone right here. I feel you’re flawed why you’re saying that everybody stands and strikes with (Pereira) and so they lose? I feel Khalil Rountree shocks the world – shocks the world,” Usman mentioned on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “Loopy issues occur in Utah, and have a look at our champions proper now. Khalil Rountree is extraordinarily explosive, extraordinarily highly effective, his muay Thai is unimaginable. When he’s launching them, he’s going to search out your face. The issue is his tempo.

“When Khalil lets go, he lets all the pieces go. And the way is he going to do in Rounds 3, 4 and 5 if the battle in some way will get there? That’s my solely concern. However in these first two rounds, I’m telling you proper now that Khalil Rountree is as harmful as anybody Alex Pereira has fought. I’m telling you proper now. Along with his story, with all the pieces that he’s been by means of, man, what a option to cap that off by letting the world and future generations know that you would be able to begin right here, fully change your life, and finish right here.”

In response to DraftKings, Rountree is a +390 underdog towards Pereira, who’s a giant -520 favourite.

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 307.