Due to his opponent’s defeat, Khalil Rountree will no longer be participating in the UFC on ESPN 52. A week later, in place of the original opponent, a previous championship contender has stepped forward, Anthony Smith.
On December 2, Rountree (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) was supposed to take on Azamat Murzakanov at Austin, Texas’s Moody Center. The unbeaten Murzakanov (13-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will no longer be permitted to participate, according to UFC CEO Dana White.
Anthony Smith Makes His Return On December 9th, 2023
But there’s still hope for Rountree since Anthony Smith, a past contender for the light heavyweight belt, has volunteered to take his place. The new bout, which White revealed via an Instagram video, will now happen a few days from today on December 9 at UFC Fight Night 233 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
In 2023, Smith (37-18 MMA, 12-8 UFC) will return to competition. During UFC Fight Night 225, “Lionheart” defeated Ryan Spann via split decision in their rematch. The outcome ended the previous title challenger’s two-fight losing streak and was Smith’s first victory since submission victory over Spann in their first encounter.
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Rountree fights one week later than scheduled, ensuring that a fight camp is not wasted. This bout will be Rountree’s second of 2023 after he defeated Chris Daukaus via knockout at UFC on ESPN 51 in August.
Complete Fight Card Of UFC Fight Noight 233:
- Song Yadong vs. Chris Guiterrez
- Anthony Smith vs. Khalil Rountree
- Andre Muniz vs. Junyong Park
- Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jamie Mullarkey
- Carlos Hernandez vs. Tatsuro Taira
- Su Mudaerji vs. Allan Nascimento
- Sung Hyun Park vs. Shannon Ross
- Kevin Jousset vs. Song Kenan
- Stephanie Egger vs. Luana Santos
- Talita Alencar vs. Rayanne dos Santos
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