Jamahal Hill will face Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event of UFC Baku, which will take place on June 21 and is the UFC’s first event in Azerbaijan. Hill desperately needs a victory after losing two straight fights to Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Meanwhile, Rountree is also coming off a loss to Pereira but had a better outing.
Here is my pick for the Main Event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Baku.
Khalil Rountree Jr. To Win By KO/TKO/DQ (+120)
Yes, Hill averages more significant strikes at a higher rate, but Rountree’s power is undeniable. Rountree possesses power that can put someone’s lights out in a second. Rountree has seven knockouts in his UFC career, the most in UFC light heavyweight history. He also has 13 knockdowns, the most in division history and six more than Dominick Reyes, who is second.
Even though Rountree was finished against Alex Pereira at UFC 307, that doesn’t tell the entire story. After the first three rounds, Rountree was up 29-28 on all three judges’ scorecards. Early in the fight, Rountree was aggressive and hurt Pereira with his big power shots.
Since Rountree isn’t the tallest fighter at light heavyweight, he must rely on his strength, power, and agility to break down his opponents. Four of Rountree’s previous five victories have come by KO/TKO, as he only has two wins by decision in the UFC. Rountree is a finisher, and he is out to hurt his opponent when he’s in the Octagon. After suffering significant injuries, Hill has not looked like the same fighter who beat Glover Teixeira for the light heavyweight title in January 2023.
