Jun 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira (crimson gloves) prepares to struggle Jiri Prochazka (not pictured) throughout UFC 303 at T-Cellular Area. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photos Alex Pereira makes the third title protection of his gentle heavyweight title he opposes Khalil Rountree Jr. in the primary occasion of UFC 307 on Saturday in Salt Lake Metropolis.
Pereira (11-2 MMA), a 37-year-old Brazilian, is contemporary off back-to-back knockout victories towards ex-UFC gentle heavyweight champions Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April and Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 in June.
Rountree (14-5 MMA), a 34-year-old Los Angeles native, is rated No. 8 within the gentle heavyweight division, having gained 5 straight fights. In his newest outing, he completed Anthony Smith by third-round TKO in December, incomes the title shot.
Pereira mentioned Thursday on the pre-fight press convention that he significantly respects Rountree Jr. for accepting the struggle and his willingness and perception as one of many division’s finest fighters.
“Khalil’s up there,” Pereira mentioned by way of translation. “You may’t deny that anymore. For all of the work he is put in, he is a superb striker on this group. He bought the shot, and I’m grateful [to fight him].”
Pereira is one in every of 9 UFC fighters to seize championships in a number of weight lessons. He gained the UFC middleweight title at UFC 281 in November 2022 with a surprising TKO of long-time rival Israel Adesanya. Pereira’s reign was short-lived, nonetheless, as he misplaced the belt to Adesanya in an instantaneous rematch at UFC 287 in April 2023.
Pereira is a -470 favourite at DraftKings and a -520 favourite at FanDuel, with Rountree a heavy underdog at +360 and +350, respectively.
Rountree mentioned he’s remaining unfastened and relaxed forward of the largest struggle of his profession. He mentioned he needs this struggle remembered as a automobile for many who can obtain something.
“Ask your self this query, proper?” Rountree mentioned. “Everyone within the crowd asks your self this query, ‘What would you like in life? Like, what do you really need? Not materials. When it comes right down to a sense, a imaginative and prescient that you just see for your self. What would you like? And what’s stopping you? That is what I am asking myself proper now, and that is what I’ve requested myself all the way in which up till this level. What’s stopping me from getting what I would like?
“For me, the reply has been myself. I feel that it is the identical for lots of people. A variety of occasions, it is ourselves in entrance of us that is stopping us. So, for me, it is like, I’ve overcome that (feeling) so many occasions. And I am at this level proper now. The problem shouldn’t be finished.”
The co-main occasion is a title purchased that includes the UFC ladies’s bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington (16-8 MMA) and former champion Julianna Pena (11-5 MMA). Each ladies are mainstays of the division and had been ex-roommates on The Final Fighter 18, however they’ve by no means had the chance to compete.
Pena went on to win the season and 4 out of her first six UFC outings earlier than incomes a title shot towards then-champion Amanda Nunes. Pena upset Nunes to win the belt in a one-sided affair at UFC 269 in December 2021, securing a second-round rear-naked-choke.
Equally to the Adesanya-Pereira rivalry, Pena’s championship run lasted lower than a 12 months. At UFC 277 in July 2022, Nunes swept the scorecards to win again the belt. She defended it once more the next summer season towards Irene Aldana at UFC 289 earlier than retiring after the victory.
Pennington wound up claiming the vacant title by successful a sixth straight bout, defeating Mayra Bueno Silva by determination at UFC 297 in January.
UFC 307 principal card (Begin time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., gentle heavyweight — Pereira’s UFC gentle heavyweight title
Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Pena, ladies’s bantamweight — Pennington’s UFC ladies’s bantamweight title
Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista, bantamweight
Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland, middleweight
Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison, ladies’s bantamweight
–Subject Degree Media
