UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr. Fight Preview

The world of mixed martial arts is buzzing with excitement as Alex Pereira puts his UFC light heavyweight champion title on the line for the third time this year. He is set to take on Khalil Rountree Jr. on Saturday, 5th September.

The Pereira vs Rountree fight is the main event at UFC 307 happening at Delta Centre, Salt Lake City, Utah.

While the fight for the light heavyweight championship belt promises to be an interesting watch in and of itself, a couple of things add to its value and make UFC 307 truly stand out. 

First and foremost, fans were a bit shocked as the pairing was unexpected. Alex Pereira is number 2, while Rountree Jr. ranks low at number eight. Also, Rountree is returning from a PED suspension. In June this year, he was outed from the UFC 303 co-main fight against Jamahal Hill. Rountree self-reported that he unintentionally took a banned substance, following which, he was suspended for two months. This is Rountree’s first fight after the suspension was lifted. 

Meanwhile, Pereira, also known as “Poata” has already defended his title twice this year in April and June.

Let’s take a look at each fighter’s stats, previous wins, and fighting style.

UFC 307 Pereira vs Rountree Jr. Preview: Meet the Fighters

The two fighters have never faced each other, although they have played against big names like Jiří Procházka, Jamahal Hill, and Israel Adesanya.

Alex Pereira used to be a middleweight fighter before and won the Glory 14: Zagreb Middleweight Contender Tournament in 2014 to become the middleweight champion. He was later stripped of his kickboxing middleweight title after he made the transition to MMA in a different weight class.

He has fought in the light-heavyweight division since April 2023 and is one of the highest-paid MMA fighters. Pereira’s first fight as a light heavyweight contender was against Israel Adesanya, which he lost in a second-round knockout. However, he went on to claim the Champion’s belt the very same year.

In November 2023, he defeated Jiří Procházka to become the light-heavyweight champion. He then went on to defend his belt twice – first against former champion Jamahall Hill in a first-round knockout in April; and then a second time when he fought former champion Jiří Procházka at UFC 303 in June.

Now, coming to Rountree Jr, also known as the “War Horse”. 

Rountree is riding high on his five-win streak, four of which were knock-outs. His last loss came in January 2021 against Marcin Prachnio, in a fight that lasted three rounds and ended with a unanimous decision in favour of Prachnio.

Rountree has won most fights in his career with knock-outs. He has been a part of a title fight only once when he fought – and lost to – Andrew Sanchez back in 2016.

Alex Pereira Stats

Khalil Rountree Jr.Stats

UFC 307 Pereira vs Rountree Jr Preview: What To Expect

Alex Pereira has an orthodox stand where he tends to lean on his front leg. This makes him vulnerable to leg kicks, although he does a good job defending them. Moreover, he tends to keep his shoulders square instead of pointing it towards the opponent. So, again while it makes him vulnerable, it also puts him in a good position for a left hook. He is light on his toes, which allows him to pull off body feints and land punches from different directions.

Meanwhile, the War Horse’s fighting style combines aggressive striking with Muay Thai. Rountree spent a considerable time in training in Thailand to perfect his kickboxing and Muay Thai. His leg kicks can be quite ferocious. He is quick on his feet and has already shown his knockout powers with his kicks. 

Rountree has a southpaw stance, which means he prefers his right foot and right hand forward, and jabs with the right hand. It’s the typical stance for left-handed boxers.

Both fighters have different approaches. While Khalil Rountree Jr. tests and gauges his opponents for a round or two, Pereira’s fights usually have early finishes. So, Rountree Jr. may need to act fast against Poata to make him fight defense.

Moreover, Rountree Jr. is good at body shots and will look to capitalize on this move. Pereira, meanwhile, is stoic under pressure and doesn’t lose focus easily. In his last fight against Hill, he was kicked in the groin but refused to take time out. So, Rountree will need to constantly put pressure on his opponent to break his focus.

UFC 307 Schedule

Main Card

• Light Heavyweight (main event): Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree
• Women Bantamweight (co-main): RaquelPennington vsJuliannaPeña
• Bantamweight: JoséAldo vs MarioBautista
• Women Bantamweight: KetlenVieira vs Kayla Harrison
• Middleweight: RomanDolidze vs KevinHolland

Preliminary Card

• Welterweight: Stephen Thompson vs Joaquin Buckley
• Women Strawweight: Marina Rodriguez vs Iasmin Lucindo
• Lightweight: Austin Hubbard vs Alexander Hernandez
• Middleweight: César Almeida vs Ihor Potieria

Early Prelims

• Light Heavyweight: Ryan Spann vs Ovince Saint Preux
• Women Strawweight: Carla Esparza vs Tecia Pennington
• Welterweight: Court McGee vs Tim Means
• Featherweight: Aljamain Sterling vs Movsar Evloev (cancelled)

7Bet Odds

If you would like to familiarize yourself with the odds, 7bet offers various picks on the Pereira vs Rountree Fight Night, including the undercards. Note that the odds are always being updated, so make sure to check the latest odds before placing a bet. 

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