The UFC held its first-ever fight card in Baku, Azerbaijan, headlined by a 5-round light heavyweight fight between fourth-ranked Jamahal Hill and seventh-ranked Khalil Rountree Jr.
Hill entered the bout looking to snap a two-fight skid after suffering back-to-back knockout losses—first in a title fight against Alex Pereira, and then against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311. A former UFC light heavyweight champion, Hill had vacated his belt in 2023 due to a ruptured Achilles tendon and has been trying to climb back into the title picture ever since.
Rountree (14-6) was also seeking redemption following a knockout loss to Pereira at UFC 307 in a light heavyweight championship title fight. Despite the loss, Rountree earned widespread respect for his performance. Many doubted he deserved a shot at Pereira and questioned his decision to strike with the two-division UFC and Glory kickboxing champion. However, Rountree surprised critics by pressing forward and trading shots toe-to-toe with Pereira before ultimately being finished with a brutal knockout punch. Even in defeat, his stock rose significantly.
Both fighters came into the Baku card hungry to bounce back and reassert themselves in the stacked light heavyweight division.
Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Jamahal Hill via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
Khalil Rountree Jr. earned the biggest win of his career in the main event of the UFC’s first-ever card in Baku, Azerbaijan, securing a dominant five-round unanimous decision over former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill.
From the opening bell, Rountree took control and never let up. He methodically chopped down Hill’s lead leg with powerful kicks, severely limiting Hill’s mobility by the end of Round 2. With his movement compromised, Hill struggled to plant and throw effectively, leading to a noticeable decline in his output.
Rountree pressed his advantage in Round 3, dropping Hill twice with sharp combinations and clean right-hand counters. In Round 4, Rountree began mixing in a looping lead left hand that repeatedly stunned Hill, eventually creating an opening for a body shot that knocked Hill down to the canvas for a third knockdown.
Despite the knockdowns and his clear dominance, Rountree remained composed and technical until the final bell. He didn’t rush to force a finish, and stuck to his signature measured kickboxing approach to pick Hill apart and frustrate him over the full 25 minutes.
With the win, the No. 7-ranked Rountree improves to 15-6 (1 NC) and bounces back from his title loss to Alex Pereira in October 2024. He is now 6-1 in his last seven fights. Meanwhile, No. 4-ranked Hill falls to 12-4 (1 NC) and is now 0-3 since vacating the light heavyweight title in July 2023 due to an Achilles tendon injury suffered during a celebrity basketball game.
Rountree Jr. drops Hill for the second time in round three 😳 #UFCBaku pic.twitter.com/jzPrqVgDMd
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 21, 2025
UFC Fight Night: Hill vs Rountree Jr. Results
- Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Jamahal Hill via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
- Rafael Fiziev def. Ignacio Bahamondes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Curtis Blaydes def. Rizvan Kuniev via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
- Myktybek Orolbai def. Tofiq Musayev via submission (Kimura) at 4:35 of the first round
- Nazim Sadykhov def. Nikolas Motta via TKO (strikes) at 4:17 of Round 2
- Muhammad Naimov def. Bogdan Grad via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- SeokHyeon Ko def. Oban Elliott via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- JunYong Park def. Ismail Naurdiev via unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-25)
- Daria Zhelezniakova def. Melissa Mullins by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Klaudia Sygula def. Irina Alekseeva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Tagir Ulanbekov def. Azat Maksum via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Mohammed Usman def. Hamdy Abdelwahab via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
