Khalil Rountree Jr. was willing to compete at UFC Abu Dhabi despite dealing with an injury, but his coaching team refused to let him take that risk.
Instead of facing Magomed Ankalaev in the main event, Rountree withdrew before fight week, forcing Bogdan Guskov to step in on short notice. While Ankalaev secured the victory, many fans were left wondering what could have happened if the original matchup had stayed intact.
John Wood stepped in to protect his fighter
Syndicate MMA head coach John Wood revealed to Home of Fight that the decision to withdraw did not come easily. According to Wood, Rountree was determined to fight even as the injury worsened throughout training camp.
“Fortunately, we kind of escaped any kind of surgical stuff. But for sure, it was a hindrance in camp that it got to a point where he couldn’t really do much.”
Wood said Rountree was prepared to push through the injury. That was when Wood decided to intervene.
“This is too big of an opportunity, too big of a situation. You’re fighting the number one contender. You might as well be fighting almost for a title at that point in time.’”
Looking beyond one fight
Wood explained that while competing through injuries is common in MMA, this situation carried too much risk.
“Everybody fights injured, but there’s injuries and things that are like, ‘If I don’t get this done in a round or two rounds, I’m in trouble.’ It’s just not smart.”
The veteran coach said the conversation was especially difficult because Rountree had never withdrawn from a fight before.
“So we sat down, had a talk. He was devastated. … It’s the first time he’s ever pulled out of a fight.”
Previous experiences shaped the decision
Wood admitted past experiences influenced how he handled the situation. He recalled watching fighters compete through significant injuries, including Merab Dvalishvili’s title fight against Petr Yan while dealing with a serious knee issue.
“I promised myself a while ago through some circumstances of watching guys fight in these situations that I’ve got to make sure that voice is heard and my opinion is heard.”
Rountree’s withdrawal was a major blow to UFC Abu Dhabi, as many viewed his matchup with Ankalaev as one of the card’s biggest attractions. The light heavyweight contender now shifts his focus to recovery in hopes of returning healthy for another run at the division’s top contenders.