Khalil Rountree: UFC 219 opponent in way of what I really want – fight with Gokhan Saki

LAS VEGAS – Khalil Rountree still mourns the loss of a fight with Gokhan Saki at UFC 219.

Thinking about Saki being forced to withdraw from the pay-per-view event with an injury, Rountree doesn’t mince words about how he took the news.

“It crushed me,” Rountree told MMAjunkie in advance of his FS1-televised fight with Michal Oleksiejczuk on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “I was crushed. I felt like someone had taken everything away from me.”

Although Rountree (6-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is now scheduled to face Oleksiejczuk (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), he hasn’t let go of the idea of fighting Saki (1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC). The next time he walks to the octagon after UFC 219, Rountree wants the Turkish kickboxer to be standing opposite him. He told Saki as much when the two recently crossed paths at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.

“I told him I still want that fight,” Rountree said. “I see that you’re injured. I know that it takes some time. But whenever you’re ready, I want that fight. Don’t choose anybody else.”

The matchup seemed like destiny to Rountree after a recent career epiphany. On the mend after two straight losses, he got his act together at the promotion’s training and recovery laboratory.

In February, Rountree knocked out Paul Jolly, an opponent he’d accepted before hopping on the plane back to the U.S. on the heels of his second UFC loss. Then, in July, he knocked out Paul Craig to halt the Scottish fighter’s momentum.

A fight with Saki wasn’t just an opportunity to advance his career. It also came with the potential to show up his doubters.

After accepting the bout, Rountree said he received well intentioned advice from observers and threats from Saki’s fans. Both thought he would get blown out of the water if he stood and traded strikes.

“I didn’t want to fight in (Las) Vegas,” Rountree said. “But because it was Gokhan Saki, because it was such a huge opportunity, I would have taken anything.

“I was preparing to give the fans the fight they wanted to see. Everybody’s telling me, ‘Take him down’ – that’s the way you’re going to win.’ I’m like, ‘That’s the way you’re going to win because you’re afraid. But I’m here to entertain.'”

And then Saki fell out, killing all of Rountree’s physical and mental momentum in the gym. He never considered withdrawing, because that would be against his values. But it wasn’t easy to get used to the idea of fighting an unknown newcomer.

“I had to make a huge shift, because I was so amped up for that fight,” he said. “I still am. I’m not going to say a minor adjustment; it was a huge one. Now, there’s just something in the way of something that I really want, and now I’m 100 percent dialed in on that.”

For more on UFC 219, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.