Everybody loves Alex Pereira. Arguably the biggest active superstar in MMA, Poatan not only delivers entertaining (and dominant) performances every time he steps into the octagon, but he fights with frequency. The current Light Heavyweight Champion will be fighting for the 10th time in the UFC since he made his debut in November of 2021. That is tied for the second most fights since then (per ESPN MMA), and that activity is a rarity for a champion. Next up on Pereira's schedule is UFC 307.
Poatan is taking on Khalil Rountree Jr. in what should be an epic slugfest. The rest of the fight card is full of fun fights, too, and in this article, we are going to detail everything that you need to know about UFC 307, the latest big UFC event in a summer that has been full of them.
When and where is UFC 307?
Salt Lake City, Utah, is a new and somewhat unassuming hotspot for MMA, but the location is becoming one of the most important cities for UFC events. That is evidenced by the fact that Dana White is having his hottest superstar, Alex Pereira, headline the event taking place at the Delta Center.
Fight night is Saturday, Oct. 5. The early prelims will kick off the action at 6:30 p.m. ET, and the prelims will follow at 8 p.m. ET. Finally, the main card will start at 10 p.m. ET. While UFC 306 was a spectacle because it took place in the Las Vegas Sphere, UFC 307 will still certainly draw plenty of viewers because of the star talent on the fight card.
How to watch UFC 307
When it comes to watching UFC 307, the early prelims will be available on UFC Fight Pass. The prelims will be on ESPNEWS and ESPN+, and the main card will be available exclusively through an ESPN+ pay-per-view purchase.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5 | Time: 10 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Delta Center — Salt Lake City, Utah
How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
FanDuel odds: Alex Pereira -560
UFC 307 fight card
Main card:
Light Heavyweight: Alex Pereira (C) vs. Khalil Rountree (championship bout)
Women's bantamweight: Raquel Pennington (C) vs. Julianna Pena
Bantamweight: Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
Women's bantamweight: Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison
Middleweight: Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland
Prelims:
Welterweight: Stephen Thompson vs. Joaquin Buckley
Women's strawweight: Marina Rodriguez vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Middleweight: Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria
Early prelims:
Light heavyweight: Ryan Spann vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Women's strawweight: Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington
Welterweight: Court McGee vs. Tim Means
Main event
In 2024, many UFC fans have complained that the sport is being overrun by grapplers and wrestlers. While there is an artform to those skills, and many MMA fans appreciate a good ground game, there are those out there that think grappling/wrestling is boring. Belal Muhammad, for example, is a champion in the welterweight division, and Merab Dvalishvili just won the Bantamweight Championship against one of the biggest stars and best strikers in the UFC in Sean O'Malley at the last pay-per-view event, UFC 306.
Regardless of if you do or don't like grappling, you almost certainly love striking. Everyone loves when haymakers are flying and there is a legitimate chance that someone will hit the canvas and be knocked out at any given second. That is what the main event in UFC 307 will be all about.
Alex Pereira has risen to fame because of his striking ability. The former Glory Kickboxing World Champion has quickly made a name for himself in the UFC. The two division champion has already established himself as one of the greatest UFC fighters ever despite joining the company late and already being 37 years old, and it has looked like no one in the 205-pound division can slow him down.
Pereira has already defended his belt twice in 2024, first at UFC 300 against Jamahal Hill in what was one of the biggest fight cards ever, and most recently at UFC 303 against Jiri Prochazka. Pereira has unmatched knockout power, and his left hook is particularly dangerous. He is also a master of the leg kick. Pereira doesn't tend to bother with takedowns, as he only has one takedown attempt during his UFC career.
His opponent, Khalil Rountree, is even less likely to go for takedowns. Rountree, who is known for putting on a show for the fans, has never attempted a takedown in the UFC. This fight will almost certainly stay on the feet, and there is a good chance the fight won't go the distance.
Pereira certainly has some iconic knockouts during his career, but so does Rountree. Magomed Ankalaev is waiting in the midst for a much-deserved title shot against Pereira, but for now, the UFC has lined up what should be a memorable battle of hand power during a time that the fan base needs it.
Main card
The women's bantamweight division is the most up for grabs right now in the UFC right now, and there is a case to be made that it is currently the worst weight class of all 11 in the promotion. UFC 307 could go a long way in changing that narrative, though. The other championship bout before the main event is for the women's bantamweight belt.
The current champion, Raquel Pennington, only has a record of 16-9, which is pretty underwhelming for a belt holder. She won the championship at UFC 297, and 10 PPV fights later, she is defending it against Julianna Pena. Pena is a former champion in her own right, as her submission victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 was one of the most shocking upsets in UFC history.
An equally big women's bantamweight fight will feature Kayla Harrison. The Olympic gold medalist in judo can be the savior of the bantamweight division and potentially the next dominant champion, as Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes were before. Harrison, who is a physical specimen, is being fast-tracked to a championship fight, and she could earn that with a win over number two-ranked Ketlen Vieira.
We will learn about the men's bantamweight division as well during UFC 307. Jose Aldo, who is not only a former Featherweight Champion but one of the best UFC fighters ever, regardless of division, is now fighting in the 135-pound division. Aldo is unretired and trying to make another run at gold.
Mario Bautista won't be an easy matchup for the 38-year-old, though. Bautista only has two losses in his career, and he is currently on a six-fight winning streak. Aldo is one of a dozen fighters who are 35 or older on this card, making it the oldest PPV card ever. Even Pereira is only the seventh oldest fighter at UFC 307.
Roman Dolidze is another fighter on the main card who is past that 35-year-old mark, which is often a death sentence in the UFC. Dolidze looked incredible in his last fight, though, as he dominated Anthony Smith. Now, Dolidze will be taking on the ultimate gatekeeper of the UFC. While Pereira is tied for the second most fights since November of 2021, it is Kevin Holland who is tied for the most fights since that time.
Holland will face Dolidze in his 11th fight since late 2021 and his 24th fight overall since joining the UFC in 2018. While the fighter nicknamed Loudmouth by Dana White has lost fights to the top-ranked contenders he has faced, he has often prevented lower ranked/unranked fighters from climbing up the division.
Size could be an issue here for Holland, though. The skinny and lanky fighter has spent time at 170 pounds, but he will be taking on Dolidze at 185 pounds. Dolidze, however, has fought at light heavyweight in the recent past. Holland won his last fight only 26 seconds into the first round, though, so you can never count him out.
Prelims/Early prelims
There are also a handful of intriguing fights before the main card even starts. Notably, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson will be taking on Joaquin Buckley. Thompson is a fan favorite because of his karate style and kicking prowess. Buckley, meanwhile, has gained notoriety for his trash talk, and he has backed it up with four straight wins.
A ranked women's strawweight fight between Marina Rodriguez (6) and Iasmin Lucindo (14) will also take place in the prelims. Another women's bout of note is Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington. Esparza was a champion as recently as November of 2022, but she is deciding to call it quits. Esparza will walk into the sunset of retirement after this fight, win or lose.
Follow Us
Subscribe
