Light heavyweight #7 Khalil Rountree Jr. has enjoyed an impressive run in the UFC over the last few years, winning five in a row in a streak stretching just over two years between 2021 and 2023. Rountree’s form earned him a title shot against Alex Pereira at UFC 307. Sadly, ‘Poatan’ was a step too far, with Rountree falling to a KO in the fourth round.
Rountree’s streak, which included four KOs, coincided with the blossoming of his relationship with Mia Kang. It suggests that the British-Swiss model has had a positive effect on the mentality of ‘The War Horse’. So much so that the loved-up pair tied the knot in a New Year’s Day wedding to start 2024 off with a bang.
The couple, who bonded over their shared passion for Muay Thai, were married during an intimate ceremony in Phuket, Thailand. Muay Thai is the national sport of an Asian country.
Outside of her relationship with the UFC star, Mia Kang has been on quite a personal journey of her own.
Kang, despite being a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, has struggled with eating disorders and body dysmorphia for most of her life. She has publicly discussed her personal issues via her social media platforms, citing Muay Thai as a discipline that has helped her to be more accepting and celebratory of her body.
The model has practiced Muay Thai since 2017, a mode of martial art that she shares a mutual love for with Rountree. Kang’s advocacy for body positivity has stretched to her other endeavors, too.
She released her memoir, Knockout, in 2020. The book reflected on her journey from becoming a woman overwhelmed by her eating disorder to a woman empowered. She also currently hosts Spy Games, an American reality show on Bravo.
What next for Kang’s UFC beau Khalil Rountree Jr.?
Rountree’s title fight loss to Pereira ended the American’s UFC honeymoon period, bringing his five-match streak to an end. And like his next opponent, Rountree will be desperate to put disappointment behind him and return to winning ways.
Rountree’s next fight will see him headline UFC on ABC 8 this weekend, where he will lock up with former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill.
Hill was forced to vacate the title due to a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2023. However, he had the chance to regain the vacant title against Pereira at UFC 300 in 2024. Unfortunately, this was not to be as he lost the fight via a first-round KO, compounding a difficult couple of years personally and professionally.
In November 2023, just a few months after vacating his title, Hill was also arrested for allegedly assaulting his brother. There were conflicting reports over who was to blame in the altercation, with the case eventually being dismissed.
Hill returned to competition in January, losing to another former light heavyweight champion, Jirí Procházka. Rountree, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since his loss to Pereira last October.
While the two fighters’ personal lives have contrasted in fortune as of late, they both find themselves in similar positions in the UFC. Both ranked in the top 10 with points to prove for different reasons, it’s tough to say which way this one goes.
Can Hill rediscover the mentality that won him a UFC title, or will the in-form Khalil Rountree Jr. prove too tough to handle for an out-of-practice Hill?
