Khalil Rountree had nothing but respect for victorious opponent Alex Pereira following their title fight at UFC 307 this past weekend.
The pair headlined Saturday's pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, battling for the right to exit the Delta Center as UFC light heavyweight champion.
Defending king "Poatan" was heavily favored to do so, having already turned away threats to his reign from Jamahal Hill and Jiří Procházka this year. Rountree, though, turned out to be the Brazilian's toughest test to date.
The challenger got off to a strong start, winning the opening two rounds on all three scorecards. But after getting on the board in round three, Pereira went to work in the fourth frame.
An onslaught of strikes left Rountree's face swollen and bloodied, and Pereira was ultimately able to close the show in what marked his first taste of the championship rounds since capturing the middleweight crown almost two years ago.
Rountree Releases First Statement On UFC 307 Title Defeat
Soon after having his title ambitions stalled in the "Beehive State," Rountree took to social media to reflect on the result and experience.
Following his failure to unseat Pereira, "The War Horse" paid tribute to "Poatan," thanking the Brazilian for bringing out a "new version" of him at UFC 307.