The image of Khalil Rountree Jr. walking out of UFC 307 still lingers in the minds of fans. His face bloodied, his nose visibly damaged, and yet, there was no quit in him. He had stood toe-to-toe with Alex Pereira in Salt Lake City, one of the most feared strikers in the sport, and nearly dethroned him. But what happened to his nose after that beating?

Three rounds of fierce exchanges gave way to heartbreak in the fourth. Poatan’s uppercut found its mark, and moments later, ‘The War Horse’ was stopped by a flurry of body shots. As the referee waved it off, it was clear that the challenger had absorbed more than just defeat. His nose, broken and battered, became one of the night’s lasting images. So, was it just cosmetic, or something far worse?

Khalil Rountree’s brutal nose injury ex

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