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


Alex Pereira is a menace. And still UFC light heavyweight champion. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Khalil Rountree Jr.’s plan appeared to be working for a while at UFC 307, until Alex Pereira did what he usually does.

The result: a fourth-round KO and further evidence that Pereira is a terrifying individual, not to mention still the UFC light heavyweight champ. It was over when a Pereira combination left Rountree bent over, but the blood was flying long before that. The Delta Center crowd watched him break a man down.

The damage was bad enough that Rountree had to pause his postfight interview because his nose started bleeding again.

Pereira approached the first round like usual, standing tall in front of his opponent and trying to overwhelm them with power, plus sheer intimidation. In Rountree, though, he found a similarly lethal striker, as well a southpaw stance that made his timing trickier than usual.

The challenger landed some clean shots on the champion in the early going. Pereira was finding home too, but it was different sight than Pereira’s past title fights that ended with him standing victorious over a dazed opponent in the first couple rounds.

It got real toward the end of the second round, when a Rountree hard right briefly dropped Pereira. Rountree kept coming, maintaining a frenetic pace that had him gasping for air at the fence between rounds.

Pereira won the first two rounds on the judges’ cards, but Pereira remained his stoic self. He began to exert control in the third, when he really started to do some damage to Rountree’s face. As Rountree’s pace faded in the championship rounds, Pereira just kept coming, exerting his usual pressure on an opponent that was probably banking on a more damaging surprise in the first few rounds.

As the swelling built on Rountree’s face, Pereira just kept hitting him harder.

Pereira was a predator and Rountree was bleeding. It ended the usual way at UFC 307.

The win provides another argument for Pereira as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. As for what happens next, Pereira said he was open for a jump to heavyweight, but insisted he was happy remaining at light heavyweight. Wherever he ends up, it will probably be bad news for the fighters there.

Before the main event, Julianna Peña re-captured the UFC bantamweight crown in the co-main with a split decision win over Raquel Pennington.

It was a controversial decision. After a close first round, Peña landed takedowns in the second and third round to take the lead, then Pennington started landing some major shots in the championship rounds. Many had Pennington retaining her belt, but two of the three judges thought differently.

Peña’s win makes her the second two-time UFC bantamweight champion in the promotion’s history, behind Amanda Nunes. Peña implored Nunes to come out of retirement and complete their trilogy, but the more likely challenger was watching from inside the Delta Center.

Former PFL champ Kayla Harrison defeated No. 2 bantamweight Ketlen Vieira to open the main card and set herself up for a title shot. She could be seen laughing on the ESPN PPV as Peña called for someone else. It will likely be Harrison, who has appeared earmarked for a title fight since she agreed to join the UFC.

Mario Bautista and Roman Dolidze were the other victors on the main card, respectively defeating Jose Aldo and Kevin Holland. Here’s how it all played out via Uncrowned and Yahoo Sports:

Live144 updates

  • Poatan ends it with 4th-round assault

    The champion unloads and Rountree eats an incredible amount of shots before crumpling to the ground in agony. Just an absolute beatdown from Pereira to retain the title.

  • Round 3 ends

  • The shot that dropped the champion

  • Rountree drops Pereira!

    Poatan pops back up, but he’s on notice after getting caught by Rountree.

  • Round 1 ends

  • Prediction for Alex Pereira (11-2) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-5, 1 NC)

    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

  • Up next: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.

    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.

(Graphic by Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)(Graphic by Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)

UFC 307 goes down Saturday night inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City headlined by two title fights. (Graphic by Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)





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