Utah, we’re back for #UFC307 in a BIG way @AlexPereiraUFC vs @KhalilRountree@RockyPMMA vs @VenezuelanVixen@StateOfSport | #StateOfSport | @DeltaCenter | #DeltaCenter pic.twitter.com/HjFbqbxtTx
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2024
Alex Pereira is the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most reliable champion these days.
Last week, the promotion officially confirmed that UFC 307 would be held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5. A number of bouts were set in stone at that time, including Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira at 135 pounds. The organization announced on Friday the main card lineup, including two championship affairs that would sit atop the billing. In the co-main attraction, Raquel Pennington (16-8) will be putting her 135-pound throne up for grabs against ex-champ Julianna Pena (11-5). The headliner will see Pereira (11-2) defend his light heavyweight crown against Khalil Rountree (13-5, 1 NC).
“Poatan” has twice saved the day for the UFC this year, serving as the man on the marquee for UFCs 300 and 303—the former in the frontrunner for “Event of the Year” and the latter in a short-notice title defense. The light heavyweight kingpin will aim to defend his belt for the third time while riding a four-fight win streak in his relatively new division. The ex-middleweight champion claimed the strap from Israel Adesanya in 2022, only to surrender it back to his rival a little under five months later. He celebrates an 82% knockout rate as a pro.
Rountree is coming off of a suspension from the UFC’s drug-testing agency Combat Sports Anti-Doping, where he was forced away from the sport for two months after admitting to taking DHEA. The CSAD reviewed Rountree’s case and determined he inadvertently took the substance, resulting in a lesser ban that kept him out of UFC 303 earlier this year. While the Nevada State Athletic Commission has still not levied its own sanctions, it appears the organization has determined any decision they make will not keep “The War Horse” out of action in October.
Bantamweight queen Pennington seized gold when she picked up the vacant belt against Mayra Bueno Silva in January. This victory capped off a six-fight win streak, which remains the longest in her career, one that saw her overcome names including Ketlen Vieira, Macy Chiasson and Aspen Ladd on her way up. She is one triumph short of the women’s 135-pound record in the UFC for wins (12), while she already serves as the most active combatant in divisional history (17).
This will be Pena’s first appearance in the Octagon in over two years, as she last stepped in the cage in July 2022 against Amanda Nunes. That rematch with “The Lioness” ultimately proved unsuccessful, as Nunes battered her in a pillar-to-post performance for 25 minutes. Since joining the roster as the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter Season 18” in 2013, Pena has averaged fewer than one fight a year. Her last win came in 2021, in an “Upset of the Year” submission over Nunes.
