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Magomed Ankalaev vs Khalil Rountree Jr Predictions & Picks – Ankalev To Stop Rountree Jr In UFC Main Event
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Magomed Ankalaev (Getty Images)
- Magomed Ankalaev vs Khalil Rountree Jr Predictions & Picks
- Magomed Ankalaev Form
- Khalil Rountree Jr Form
Magomed Ankalaev vs Khalil Rountree Jr Predictions & Picks
Magomed Ankalaev vs Khalil Rountree Jr Predictions & Picks
Magomed Ankalaev is tipped to win this light-heavyweight showdown by knockout.
Ankalaev can ride out the early storm and then, as Rountree Jr runs out of steam, he is backed to take over the contest, break down his opponent, and force a late stoppage.
- 6 of Magomed Ankalaev’s 12 UFC wins have been by KO/TKO
- Magomed Ankalaev has lost just 1 of his previous 15 fights
- 4 of Khalil Rountree Jr’s last 5 defeats have been by knockout
- Khalil Rountree Jr’s last two knockout losses have been in the second half of the fight
Magomed Ankalaev Form
Magomed Ankalaev is a former UFC light-heavyweight champion and current number one contender with a professional record of 20-2-1 with 1 No Contest.
Ankalaev signed with the UFC in 2018 and got off to a losing start as he was tapped out in the final second by Paul Craig in his debut.
He quickly put that behind him with a 189-second knockout of Marcin Prachnio later that year, and in 2019 he followed up a points success over Klidson Abreu with a third-round stoppage of Dalcha Lungiambula.
The 34-year-old Russian then won back-to-back meetings with Ion Cutelaba in 2020 – ensuring the controversy surrounding his 38-second knockout win was ended by another first-round victory in the rematch.
Ankalaev continued his climb up the 205lb ladder in 2021 as he out-pointed Nikita Krylov and Volkan Oezdemir, and he then made it nine-in-a-row the following year as he beat Thiago Santos and points before stopping Anthony Smith in the second round.
That earned him a fight for the light-heavyweight title in December 2022, but his night ended in disappointment as the judges ruled his fight with Jan Blachowicz a split decision draw.
The Russian’s momentum stalled further as he then went to a No Contest with Johnny Walker in October 2023 – the ruling coming after an illegal knee left the Brazilian unable to continue.
Ankalaev took the rematch though, knocking out Walker in the second, and then beat Aleksandar Rakic on points to secure another shot at the light-heavyweight crown.
This time he took his big chance by out-pointing Alex Pereira in March 2025, but when the two men met again in October of last year he surrendered the title back to the Brazilian, losing via first-round knockout.
Khalil Rountree Jr Form
Khalil Rountree Jr is the current number five ranked light-heavyweight contender with a career record of 14-7 with 1 No Contest.
Rountree Jr joined the UFC in 2016 despite losing via decision to Andrew Sanchez on the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter.
He then dropped his debut bout with Tyson Pedro by first-round submission, but rallied from there to ensure his time with the world’s premier MMA promotion would not be brief.
The 36-year-old American finally got off the mark in the UFC by knocking out Daniel Jolly in 52 seconds, and backed that up with another first-round stoppage as he took out Paul Craig with strikes.
Rountree Jr then saw his loss to Michał Oleksiejczuk get overturned to a No Contest after his opponent failed a drug test, before sandwiching a first-round knockout loss to Johnny Walker with wins over Gokhan Saki, by TKO, and Eryk Anders, by decision.
He then dropped back-to-back fights as he was knocked out by Ion Cutelaba and out-pointed by Marcin Prachnio, but in September 2021 he kicked off his best UFC run to date with a second-round knockout of Modestas Bukauskas.
‘The War Horse’ then knocked out Karl Roberson in the second round, before following up a decision success against Dustin Jacoby with knockout victories against Chris Daukaus and Anthony Smith.
That landed Rountree Jr a shot at the light-heavyweight title in October 2024, but his win streak was ended by a fourth-round knockout at the hands of Alex Pereira
He rebounded with a decision victory over Jamahal Hill, only to then get knocked out by Jiri Prochazka in the third round last October.
Verdict
Khalil Rountree Jr may pose something of a threat early, but Magomed Ankalaev can weather that barrage and take over the contest.
From there he can wear down Rountree Jr and finish the fight before the final bell sounds.
From there he can wear down Rountree Jr and finish the fight before the final bell sounds.
Magomed Ankalaev
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