UFC 307 results: Alex Pereira brutalizes Khalil Rountree Jr. to retain light heavyweight crown

For his third light heavyweight title defense, the champion Pereira, 37, is justifiably favored as the -450 favorite, the second largest on the card.

Let’s just say it now: Both of the title fights at UFC 307 feature challengers who should not be next in line. If meritocracy has to die to have some fun, then so be it, says the UFC. Enter the No. 7-ranked contender and “GLORY Kickboxing Killer” Rountree.

Rountree, 34, is undeniably on the best stretch of his 10-year pro career, riding a five-fight win streak. Of those five, Rountree has finished four of his opponents with strikes, including one-time title challenger Anthony Smith in his most recent win this past December.

I mentioned the fun little “GLORY Killer” nickname for Rountree, stemming from when he bested former kickboxing standouts Dustin Jacoby and Gokhan Saki, the latter of which was a stunning 2018 upset. As a +340 underdog, Rountree hopes to replicate that same epic performance against another former GLORY champion with his vicious kicks and elbows.

That won’t be anything new for Pereira. The champ has seen it all in the striking department, with his largest hurdles coming against his longtime rival, former middleweight king Israel Adesanya. Other than his loss to Adesanya, Pereira has struggled minimally in kickboxing-themed MMA affairs. It would be wise for Rountree to try and exploit the weaker area of Pereira’s game — the champ's grappling — but he’s already stated in interviews that he won’t go down that route. Whether that’s all just mind games, Pereira has continually improved his takedown defense and overall ground acumen to the point where Rountree won’t be much of a threat there.

But Pereira can be hit, and with power like Rountree’s, that could be trouble. It’s just a matter of finding his shot first, which is the problem. Pereira’s timing and counters are virtually unmatched in the heavier weight classes, and oh, he has one of the greatest equalizers in MMA history with that nuclear left hook, if not the greatest. The man can hurt people anywhere on the feet and he’ll add to his highlight reel here, especially if Rountree doesn’t even mix in a threat of wrestling.

It could be something crazy like Thiago Santos vs. Jimi Manuwa while it lasts, but ultimately, we’ll hear Bruce Buffer announce, “And still.”

Pick: Pereira

Who they are: Pereira is the 205-pound champ who’s been dusting off challengers with the greatest of ease since moving up to claim his second title in a second UFC division. Rountree is the underrated slugger who finds himself in a championship fight by the vagaries of the UFC calendar.

Why it matters: If Pereira can notch another successful title defense, it might be time to reconsider his offer to move up to heavyweight. (No offense to Magomed Ankalaev, who probably deserved this title shot; it’s just that no one really cares about him all that much.) If Rountree pulls off the upset, he’ll be responsible for one of the biggest shocks of the year in MMA — and he’ll probably be forced to turn right around and do it again. Either way, this fight offers us another chance to watch Pereira speed run a Hall of Fame MMA career. You have to admit it’s gone amazingly well so far.

The purist in me struggles so mightily looking at these title fights.

Don’t be fooled. Peña’s return two days shy of an 800-day absence comes after one of the most lopsided title losses in MMA history with her Amanda Nunes rematch. Injuries extended her time away and axed what was supposed to be a Nunes trilogy in June 2023. For her sake and ours, that was for the best.

Nonetheless, Peña is back in the title scene to try to dethrone Pennington and join the select few female fighters to become two-time UFC champions.

What Pennington lacks in finishing ability, she makes up for technically with her tight boxing and underrated clinch work. It’s not flashy, but it’s effective and gets the job done, whereas Peña is wild, chaotic and the exact opposite in the standup department. Nunes capitalized on the latter fact with three knockdowns in the Peña rematch.

Peña's X-factor against everyone is her tenacity, aggression and relentless pursuit of takedowns. But another area that Pennington is underrated in is her grappling defense. She may give up takedowns — she's acquiesced nine to her opponents on this current six-fight win streak — but she knows how to avoid being held down or put in compromising positions. In all but two of those fights, Pennington beat her opponents in control time, and in one of the two that she didn’t, the end result was a guillotine submission win over Macy Chiasson.

As durable and gritty as they come, Pennington has only been finished twice in her career. Peña will hope to grind out the champion and reclaim her title if a finish doesn’t materialize. That will make the fight a bit of a close slog coming down to whoever is more effective with their damage, and Pennington should edge that out for her first title defense.

Pick: Pennington

Who they are: Pennington is the current women’s bantamweight champ after winning a decision to claim the vacant title in January. Peña is the former champ who had a cup of coffee with the belt after pulling off a huge upset over women’s MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes (who promptly took the belt right back in the rematch).

Why it matters: The 135-pound weight class used to be the glamor division for women’s MMA. Ever since Nunes peaced out the game, however, it’s felt like an afterthought. No one has really cemented herself as the true top dog, and fan interest in even these title fights feels like it’s at an all-time low. The winner here is almost sure to defend the belt against Harrison soon, but this is a chance for someone to put their stamp on the division — at least for the time being.