Dustin Jacoby vs Khalil Rountree Jr Prediction: We expect a knockout

Thirteenth-ranked UFC Light Heavyweight Dustin Jacoby faces fellow American Khalil Rountree in this massive bout that is, indeed, a fit opener for the main card of UFC Fight Night 213. The event will hold at the Apex and will be screened on ESPN+ is also between two Americans on form. Dustin Jacoby has been unbeaten since his return to the UFC two years ago while Khalil is pressing forward in his bid to get into the rankings and get a championship shot soon. Jacoby is a clear favorite with the sportsbooks but Rountree was an underdog in his last two fights. And he won them both. We will break down the two fighters here and make an informed prediction on the outcome.

The American first arrived in the UFC in 2012 when he lost his two fights in the promotion. He was subsequently cut from the UFC. The 34-year-old is an American mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He has competed for Bellator, World Series of Fighting, and Titan FC, both as a Light Heavyweight and a Middleweight. Since his return to the UFC, he has a record of six wins out of seven with a lone split-draw. He has already notched two wins this year with his last fight a TKO of Da Un Jung on July 16, 2022, at UFC on ABC 3, earning his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

After two straight losses, Khalil has his UFC career back on track and aiming to secure a three-match win streak. He earned his second performance of the Night award with a TKO win over Karl Robinson in March. He overwhelmed Robinson with a body kick and punches at the start of the second round of their bout. In his previous fight in September 2021, he finished Modestas Bukauskas with a leg kick. Rountree has spoken about his struggles with mental health. His public stance on his challenges is evidence of how strong he is. At 32, the southpaw is looking up the rankings and insists he wants to force himself into the championship conversation.

Five of Rountree’s six wins in the UFC have come by way of KO. His last two fights have been TKOs. It gets more interesting because Jacoby is a class kickboxer with two of his last four wins being knockouts. His winning streak stretches about two years during which he has been winning fights with a bad knee. Now he says his knee has been cured so we expect a better fighter. He is a technically gifted striker with high-end kickboxing and lots of volume. His last opponent was dispatched in the first round. We expect the fight to be a stand-up although Jacoby is not without some wrestling skills and Rountree trained in Muay Thai. What to do against a more technical striker will be the question for Khalil and his handlers. We think he will attack hoping to score an opportunistic KO. This is because as the fight continues, he is in danger of being outpointed on the scorecards. The oddsmakers agree that the fight will end inside the distance. We agree with them. A bet for under 2.5 has some value. 

• Under 2.5 rounds at 1.6 odds on 1xbet
• Over 1.5 rounds at 1.61 odds on Bet365
• W1 by decision at 3.85 odds on Betway