Light heavyweight Khalil Rountree has extended his contract with the UFC.
Rountree (8-4-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC), who in December 2019 had announced on social media that his next fight will be his last, appears to have had a change of heart. He took to Instagram to announce the news of his contract renewal and his aim of returning to competition early next year.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Khalil Rountree Jr. (@khalilrountree) on Oct 30, 2020 at 6:47am PDT
“I’m extremely happy to announce that I’ve decided to extend my contract with the @ufc and will be making my return at the start of 2021 • After being away from the sport for over one year now it feels like I have the opportunity to start fresh. I’m back in the game 100% like I’ve just begun, ready to put on the most exciting fights you’ve seen from me yet. I’ve had lots of down time to reflect, reinvent and tighten my circle. I’ve taken the time to look at myself from the inside out and I’ve shared with you all the ups and downs publicly. Now it’s time to bite down and fight harder than ever. I’m ready, and you should be too. If you know a company or brand that you’d like to see me repping, please tag them below as I’m looking for sponsors/partners to grow with. #winningticket @mickmaynard2”
Rountree has split his past four appearances and hasn’t competed since September 2019, when he was stopped by Ion Cutelaba at UFC on ESPN+ 18.
Most recently, he was scheduled to face Sam Alvey at UFC on ESPN 8 in March, but the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.