Khalil Rountree Jr. isn’t your typical UFC fighter. His journey didn’t start on wrestling mats or in high school gyms. It started in pain, in loss, and in a deep desire for change. With wins over names like Anthony Smith, Chris Daukas, Justin Jacoby, and a 78% KO/TKO rate, ‘The War Horse’ has cemented his place as one of the most dangerous light heavyweights in the promotion.
Now, as he gears up to headline UFC on ABC 8 against Jamahal Hill, fans want to know more about Rountree—not just the fighter, but the man. Where is he from, and what does he believe in? So let’s pull back the curtain and find out.
What is Khalil Rountree Jr.’s ethnicity and nationality
Born in Los Angeles, California, on February 26, 1990, Khalil Ibn Rountree Jr. is proudly American. But his surname ‘Rountree’ has been exclusive to the United States, England, and Ireland. Regardless, the UFC star wants the world to consider him American. Just a man representing his country on one of MMA’s biggest stages.
And speaking of deeper identities, what role does religion play in his life?
Which religion does Khalil Rountree follow?
With a name like Khalil Ibn Rountree, many fans assume he follows Islam. But the truth is more complicated than that. The UFC light heavyweight has kept his faith close to the chest, rarely speaking publicly about religion.
That hasn’t stopped speculation. In a training video, he captioned his post with a single word: “church.” For some, that was enough to connect the dots to Christianity. But there’s more. Rountree also shared wedding photos taken at a Thai temple, which had others guessing Buddhism.
At this point, it’s safe to say that the knockout artist walks a personal spiritual path. He may draw strength from multiple places. But one thing’s for sure, his beliefs, whatever they are, fuel the warrior spirit fans admire. Now, let’s turn the clock back. Who was Khalil Rountree before the fight game changed his life?
Khalil Rountree’s background and early life
Khalil Rountree Jr.’s life began in Los Angeles. But his childhood was anything but golden. In 1992, when he was just two, tragedy struck. His father, Roderick Rountree, was shot and killed during a robbery in Chicago while working as a tour manager for Boyz II Men. “He was a father figure and friend to us,” the group had said in a statement back then after they paused their tour to attend the funeral.
In the UFC 307 Countdown video, the fighter revealed the plaque he was gifted by the group commemorating his deceased father. “Presented to Khalil ‘Burger John’ Rountree to commemorate the sale of more than 8,000,000 copies of the Motown Records Casette and CD ‘II’,” read the engraved message on the plaque.
But without a father figure, young Khalil spiraled. “I would smoke two packs of cigarettes a day on top of gorging on fast food. Every day, I’d drink a liter or two of Dr. Pepper. I was doing nothing good for myself health-wise. I felt I was going to die in my sleep. It’s really strange when you have a 19-year-old who believes he may never wake up once he goes to sleep, but that’s where I was,” said Rountree in one of his conversations with the media. H͏e further explained how ͏he used to avoid vegetables͏ because he found them bland.͏
At the time, he had also taken up some odd jobs that included selling merchandise for bands on tour. However, as his life wasted away before his own eyes, the future UFC star was struck with a harsh realization. “I wasn’t really chasing my dream. I was just trying to help someone chase their own. I always thought I had more in me than just selling clothes and packing the van,” said Rountree Jr. and that’s when the 300-pound kid decided to turn his life around.
October 4, 2024, Salt Lake City, Ut, Salt Lake City, Ut, United States: Khalil Rountree steps on the scale for the ceremonial weigh-ins at the Salt Palace Convention Center for UFC307 – Pereira vs Rountree Jr. on October 4, 2024 in Salt Lake City, UT, United States. /PxImages Salt Lake City, Ut United States – ZUMAp175 20241004_zsa_p175_113 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
His brother, an aspiring MMA fighter himself, took the young boy to the gym. “The way I got into fighting was that my brother was training in MMA, and he’d been wanting to introduce me to his new hobby, so I joined the gym with him because, at the time, I was 300 pounds. So I just joined the gym and found that I had a hidden love for fighting and a love for training and it just happened by accident—just because I wanted to lose a few pounds.”
“I was never in any competitive sports growing up,” he further shared, “so MMA was my first sport and I’m always learning and developing. I hear from peers that I have great potential and all that, but it’s up to me to prove that to myself.”
And he proved that not just to himself, but to the world watching. After earning his first-ever Fight of the Night bonus in a gritty, four-round war against Alex Pereira at UFC 307, Rountree walked away without the belt, but with his stock soaring. That loss, though tough, proved he could hang with the elite at of the division.
Now, with that storm behind him, he’s been rebooked to face Jamahal Hill, a matchup months in the making. Originally planned for April, the fight was postponed after Hill suffered a leg injury. But at UFC Baku, these two warriors will finally collide. Will ‘The War Horse’ rise to the top once more against a former champion like Hill? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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