“There was a lot of personal growth in that fight, I think, for one, fighting for a title, in a main event, against a guy like Alex. For me, I felt like I belonged. When the lights were off and we’re just standing in the cage, I just remember feeling like I belong here. It wasn’t a foreign feeling to me, it felt just right.
“And then I was very happy throughout the whole fight, even in the toughest times. I remember just being really grateful to be there and soaking it all in. And so, although I didn’t get the result that I was aiming for, I definitely walked away with a really cool experience. And now I know what it’s like to fight the best of the best for a championship. So it was an eye opener, and it only motivated me to just want to keep climbing and do better.”
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Rountree’s early UFC career was plagued with inconsistency as he struggled to string a consistent run of results together. But since the pandemic, he hit top form as he strung together five successive wins – four by knockout – to put himself in the light heavyweight top 10 and earn him a shot at Pereira.
The fight ended in a fourth-round stoppage defeat, but Rountree explained that getting to that level and trading leather with Pereira proved to him that not only can he compete with the best in the world, he also still has more improving to do in order to bridge the gap from contender status to champion.
“Moving forward, I think I’ll be a lot better,” he explained.
