The UFC’s return to Utah this fall has a main event – and it’s not one that was on many people’s radars.
Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) will put his title on the line against Khalil Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the UFC 307 headliner in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5. UFC officials announced the matchup Friday.
Already in 2024, Pereira has title defenses in the UFC 300 main event against ex-champ Jamahal Hill and in the UFC 303 main event against ex-champ Jiri Prochazka. A win for Pereira would give him four light heavyweight title wins in about 11 months. Few, if any, UFC champions average more than two title fights a year.
Many wondered who would be a viable next opponent for Pereira after Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) was matched up with Aleksandar Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. And considering Pereira fought in April, then again in late June, the timing is perhaps an indication Pereira intends to keep right on trucking through the UFC’s history books.
Pereira won the UFC’s middleweight title against kickboxing rival Israel Adesanya in late 2022, but lost the belt to him in a rematch. He then moved to light heavyweight and needed just two fights to become champion. His two defenses came in short order, too.
Fair or not, Rountree’s name wasn’t atop most potential title challenger lists. But the 34-year-old veteran of Season 23 of “The Ultimate Fighter” has a five-fight winning streak with four stoppages, including a third-round finish of former title challenger Anthony Smith this past December. He has three post-fight bonuses in that stretch, as well.
But earlier this year, he was supposed to fight former champ Jamahal Hill at UFC 303, but was forced out when he tested positive for banned substances, including androsterone, a banned steroid. He was suspended for two months.
Pereira, who has been just a slight favorite or underdog in all his UFC fights, is likely to experience a big bump in early support when the oddsmakers go to work, given his recent resume.
UFC 307 also added a co-main event women’s bantamweight title fight between champion Raquel Pennington and former champ Julianna Peña.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
