The Delta Center in Salt Lake City braces for another electrifying night with UFC 307’s main event featuring light heavyweight titlist Alex Pereira. This marks Pereira’s fourth trip to the Octagon in as many months, a testament to his endurance and readiness for any challenge. Holding a record of 11-2, Pereira is not just another fighter but stands at a commendable No. 2 position in UFC’s pound-for-pound hierarchy. This time, he’s facing the No.8 challenger in the light heavyweight division, Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-5).
On the first glance, the bout might seem unfairly tilted towards Pereira — a perception backed by the betting odds ranking him as the favorite to secure his fifth consecutive win. However, one must not overlook Rountree’s performance off late — a five-bout winning streak coupled with his reputation as a knockout specialist adds an unpredictable twist in the tale. It’s anyone’s game when that big punch or lethal kick could land.
Another standout fight of UFC 307’s schedule includes a contest for the woman’s bantamweight title. Current champion Raquel Pennington is preparing to face the No. 1 contender, Julianna Pena. It adds a layer of intrigue to the fight considering Pena has been absent from the Octagon ever since her defeat to Amanda Nunes back in July 2022.
Interestingly, the UFC 307’s main card boasts three fights that are considered neck-to-neck. The first is the aforementioned women’s bantamweight title contest between defending champion Raquel Pennington (16-9) and the top-seeded challenger, Julianna Pena (12-5). While Pennington rides the wave of a six-win streak, Pena is returning after a two-year-long hiatus during which she exchanged wins and losses in her title fights with now-retired Amanda Nunes. The betting odds indicate a slight edge for Pennington.
Prior to the womens’ bantamweight title clash, bantamweights Jose Aldo (32-8) and Mario Bautista (14-2) lock horns in the Octagon. Aldo, who twice claimed ownership of the featherweight title and currently ranked 10th in the bantamweight division, is up against Bautista. Bautista also joins the fight with a six-win momentum and is barely leading in terms of odds.
UFC 307’s action commences with a middleweight battle featuring 10th ranked Roman Dolidze (13-3) clashing with Kevin Holland, who holds the 15th spot. Following his return to the middleweight segments this summer, Holland is flagged by the oddsmakers as a marginal favorite despite his lower rank. Dolidze, on the other end, recently triumphed over light heavyweight Anthony Smith just three months ago.
The women’s bantamweight division also sees a showdown between No. 2 ranked Ketlen Vieira (14-3) and No. 3 seeded Kayla Harrison (17-1). Despite Vieira’s higher ladder position, she enters the fight as a significant underdog. Harrison, an Olympic gold medalist in judo in 2012 and 2016, seeks a win to establish her claim for a title shot in the foreseeable future.
And finally, the limelight returns to the much-anticipated main event. Of note this time around is that it’s Pereira’s third visit to the Octagon in less than a six-month timeframe. Very few UFC champions share the honor of successfully defending their titles three times in a single calendar year. Defying all the odds, Pereira remains nearly a -500 bet to secure yet another victory.