Khalil Rountree is on a four-fight winning streak while Chris Daukaus is on a four-fight losing skid after UFC on ESPN 51.
Rountree (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) was tasked with welcoming former heavyweight Daukaus (12-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) down to light heavyweight for the first time on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and the fight was one-way traffic.
It was clear Daukaus tasted the power early on, and it wasn’t long before Rountree dropped and stopped him for the TKO at the 2:40 mark of Round 1.
Check out the replay below (via Twitter):
ROUNTREE. JUST. DID. THAT. @KhalilRountree is a problem in the LHW division #UFCVegas78 pic.twitter.com/QPS0pisGav
— UFC (@ufc) August 13, 2023
That fourth-straight victory tastes sweet for @KhalilRountree
#UFCVegas78 continues LIVE on @ESPN! pic.twitter.com/5SxrMgTXXt
— UFC (@ufc) August 13, 2023
With the longest winning streak of his UFC career under his belt, Rountree is looking for bigger and better. Not only does he want the chance to face a ranked fighter next, but he wants it in a five-round headliner.
“It feels great,” Rountree said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “I would absolutely love to fight somebody ranked above me. I don’t know exactly who. I think the next step for me is a main event. I would love to have a five-round main event. I think that’s a big challenge for me.”
Rountree has his sights SET
@KhalilRountree | #UFCVegas78 pic.twitter.com/QyWrzw5XnF
— UFC (@ufc) August 13, 2023
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 51 results include:
- Khalil Rountree def. Chris Daukaus via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:40
- Iasmin Lucindo vs. Polyana Viana via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:42
- AJ Dobson def. Tafon Nchukwi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Josh Fremd def. Jamie Pickett via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Marcus McGhee def. JP Buys via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:19
- Terrence McKinney def. Mike Breeden via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:25
- Isaac Dulgarian def. Francis Marshall via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:48
- Martin Buday def. Josh Parisian via submission (kimura) – Round 1, 4:11
- Jaqueline Amorim def. Montserrat Conejo via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:41
- Da’Mon Blackshear def. Jose Johnson via submission (twister) – Round 1, 3:47
- Luana Santos def. Juliana Miller via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:41
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 51.
UFC on ESPN 51 video: Khalil Rountree’s big power sends Chris Daukaus to fourth straight loss