Alex Pereira appears to be like to increase good 12 months at UFC 307

Alex Pereira makes the third title protection of his mild 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 recent off back-to-back knockout victories towards ex-UFC mild 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 mild 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 stated Thursday on the pre-fight press convention that he tremendously respects Rountree Jr. for accepting the combat and his willingness and perception as one of many division’s greatest fighters.

“Khalil’s up there,” Pereira stated through translation. “You’ll be able to’t deny that anymore. For all of the work he is put in, he is a good striker on this group. He obtained the shot, and I’m grateful [to fight him].”

Pereira is one among 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, nevertheless, as he misplaced the belt to Adesanya in a right away 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 stated he’s remaining free and relaxed forward of the most important combat of his profession. He stated he desires this combat remembered as a car for many who can obtain something.

“Ask your self this query, proper?” Rountree stated. “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 simply 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 best way 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 similar for lots of people. Loads 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 just isn’t executed.”

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 time towards Irene Aldana at UFC 289 earlier than retiring after the victory.

Pennington wound up claiming the vacant title by profitable a sixth straight bout, defeating Mayra Bueno Silva by determination at UFC 297 in January.

UFC 307 foremost card (Begin time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)

Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., mild heavyweight — Pereira’s UFC mild 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

–Area Stage Media