Sasha Palatnikov praises Khalil Rountree Jr as one of his favorite training partners, shares thoughts on Jamahal Hill clash

Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jamahal Hill are preparing to clash in the headliner of UFC Baku this weekend, with a previous training partner of the former weighing in on the matchup.

Appearing on a recent episode of Bowks Talking Bouts, Sasha Palatnikov covered multiple topics ahead of his eventual disqualification victory over Phil Hawes at DBX 2 on June 14.

After it was referenced that the former UFC veteran has called Rountree Jr. one of his favorite guys to work with, and when asked for his thoughts on the UFC Baku main event, Palatnikov said:

"The first time I knew of Khalil was from 'The Ultimate Fighter' and that was just me like watching as a fan in Hong Kong just like oh, and then seeing him in Thailand. It's actually a funny story, his wife, I went to high school with her in Hong Kong. So it's like a super small world in that regard."

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He added:

"He lives in Vegas, we trained out of the same gym [Syndicate MMA] for a few years. So yeah, I've always got a lot of love for Khalil and love what he's doing. His fight against Jamahal Hill, I think he's going to smash Jamahal Hill, personally. I think he's just too strong, too powerful, too fast. I love getting in work with Khalil when I have in the past."

Check out Sasha Palatnikov's thoughts on Khalil Rountree Jr. and the UFC Baku main event matchup below (23:25):

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Khalil Rountree Jr. predicts "undeniable performance" at UFC Baku

Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jamahal Hill will see a pair of top ten-ranked contenders collide, with the former looking to put on a caliber of performance that will secure him another title shot.

Rountree Jr. is looking to rebound from a setback in his last outing against then-light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC 307, and a win over a former divisional kingpin can shoot him right back into contention for the gold.

During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the 35-year-old mentioned how he felt like he grew in a big way after entering the fire against 'Poatan' last year.

When discussing the implications of the impending clash with Hill this weekend, 'The War Horse' said:

"I think the [UFC] has its own ideas and thoughts of what they would want. My plan is to put on a performance that makes a title shot again undeniable, if that makes any sense. I'm ready to be a champion and the champion."

He added:

"Everything I'm working on and doing is to be prepared for that again. That is absolutely what I want and what I'm gunning for. So my plan is to put on an undeniable performance so that I can get that chance again."

Check out Khalil Rountree Jr.'s comments below:

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Edited by Subham