Two recent title challengers will face off at UFC’s return card in Missouri.
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. will collide in the main event of UFC’s April 26th card at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
The matchup sees two respected names at 205 pounds look to re-establish their place in the division following failed title shots in 2024.
Hill, who had his 2023 title run brought to a close due to injury, looked to regain champ status when he faced incumbent titleholder Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 300 last year. He suffered a first-round finish loss against the kickboxing specialist, getting caught with a left hook a little over three minutes into the fight.
The 33-year-old’s standing in the division has slipped slightly since then, as he was also finished in the third round of a clash against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311 last month. Hill remains ranked fourth at light heavyweight but would likely exit the division’s top five if unsuccessful against seventh-ranked Rountree Jr. later this year.
Rountree Jr. similarly faced Pereira last year. He was a more surprising matchmaking choice for the champ compared to opponents like Hill or Prochazka, considering his lower ranking in the division. He nonetheless survived through to the fourth round against the champ, eventually succumbing to punches after showcasing his toughness through nearly 20 minutes of competition.
Rountree Jr. proved to be an explosive striker in previous performances, having stopped four of his past five opponents since 2023.
A meeting between Hill and Rountree Jr. was briefly in the works for last summer but ultimately fell through after a brief drug test suspension put Rountree Jr. on the sidelines. Now, many months later, they will meet in a main event.
The upcoming card will be UFC’s return to Kansas City, hosting an event in the location just over two years following their last trip to the T-Mobile Center. UFC’s previous event in the state of Missouri came last year, when a “Fight Night” card aired at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
UFC’s upcoming event in Kansas City is part of the first-ever “TKO Takeover,” which sees companies owned by TKO Group Holdings present a stretch of shows within the same venue. Two nights before UFC’s event, Professional Bull Riding (PBR), which TKO is in the process of acquiring, will stage a show. And two nights following the “Fight Night,” WWE’s Monday Night Raw will host a live episode from the arena.
The full “Takeover,” a vision the company has eyed for long, is in partnership with the Kansas City Sports Commission. The terms of the deal between TKO and the commission aren’t known at the moment.
Knockdown News 