The fight went a bit longer than expected, but Alex Pereira defended his light heavyweight championship against Khalil Rountree Jr. in the brawl of the UFC 307 main event in Salt Lake City. Rountree was valiant and brave into the championship rounds, but Pereira broke the challenger down and the fight was stopped in Round 4.
In the co-main event, Julianna Peña became a two-time champion after defeating Raquel Pennington by split decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) to win back the women's bantamweight title. Could Kayla Harrison, who defeated Ketlen Vieira earlier in the night, be next for Peña?
Andreas Hale, Brett Okamoto and Dre Waters break down all the action from UFC 307.
How to watch the fights
Julianna Pena regains the women's bantamweight belt after a split-decision win vs. Raquel Pennington.
Watch the replays of all UFC 307 fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
There's also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every UFC card.
Joaquin Buckley grabs a huge knockout win in Round 3 over Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson at UFC 307.
UFC 307 fight card
Kevin Holland can't compete further after suffering a rib injury at UFC 307.
Light heavyweight championship: Alex Pereira (c) def. Khalil Rountree Jr.
Women's bantamweight championship: Julianna Peña def. Raquel Pennington (c)
Men's bantamweight: Mario Bautista def. José Aldo
Middleweight: Roman Dolidze def. Kevin Holland
Women's bantamweight: Kayla Harrison def. Ketlen Vieira
Welterweight: Joaquin Buckley def. Stephen Thompson
Strawweight: Iasmin Lucindo def. Marina Rodriguez
Lightweight: Alexander Hernandez def. Austin Hubbard
Middleweight: Cesar Almeida def. Ihor Potieria
Light heavyweight: Ryan Spann def. Ovince Saint Preux
Strawweight: Tecia Pennington def. Carla Esparza
Welterweight: Court McGee def. Tim Means
(c) = defending champion
Kevin Holland can't compete further after suffering a rib injury at UFC 307.
The UFC women's bantamweight division is heating up
The women's bantamweight division has become much spicier over the past few months.
UFC 307's co-main event will feature a fight between two competitors from the 2013 "The Ultimate Fighter" when Raquel Pennington defends her women's bantamweight championship against former champion and TUF winner Julianna Peña. The bad blood between the two spilled over at the pre-fight news conference on Thursday, when the two traded barbs.
Things getting heated between former TUF teammates 😳 #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/IMAwncUztU
— UFC (@ufc) October 3, 2024
While the Pennington-Pena rivalry is contentious, the straw that stirs the drink in the 135-pound division belongs to Kayla Harrison, whose arrival in the UFC this year has ruffled a few feathers. The two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo and two-time PFL lightweight tournament champion set her sights on becoming the next bantamweight champion and plans to take out Ketlen Vieira on Saturday to be the next in line.
"It's only a matter of time," Harrison said. "I am the uncrowned queen."
She's here to set the record straight! 😤@KaylaH | #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/nbReElkEju
— UFC (@ufc) October 3, 2024
As the three women traded verbal jabs, Vieira refused to be a bystander and injected herself into the fray, reminding Harrison not to overlook her.
"I hope you have the stamina to fight me. You don't know what's coming for you," Vieira said.
But it would be Harrison who would have the final word for the women on the dais.
"Here's the difference between me and all of these girls," Harrison said. "I come here and they complain. ... If this was my division and I was the champion I would say 'Come the f--- over and I'll show you who is champion!'" -- Andreas Hale
Expert picks and best bets for Pereira vs. Rountree, Pennington vs. Peña
How Rountree wins: He has to come out guns blazing early. Use that explosive power to get the job done early. He can't allow the fight to get into the later rounds where his adrenaline will die down and the technique can get sloppy, which Pereira will exploit. He has to believe in himself and can't get complacent.
How Pennington wins: Be smart and calculated. Don't be surprised if she adds takedowns to her game plan against Peña. Pennington is also a big body at 135 pounds with great balance and she is really heavy if she gets on top of you. Her striking will also be key. She uses different angles well, making it hard to predict where the punches and kicks are coming from.
Khalil Rountree Jr. has a chance to shut everybody up
Six years ago, Khalil Rountree Jr. went toe-to-toe in the Octagon with Gokhan Saki, a former world kickboxing champion -- an ill-advised strategy. But Rountree knocked him out.
"Khalil Rountree Jr. shutting everybody up," Joe Rogan said at cageside, "including us."
Rountree could do the same against Alex Pereira on Saturday. Rountree and his coach, John Wood from Syndicate MMA, have welcomed the challenge of a kickboxing match with Pereira, a multiple-weight champion in both kickboxing and MMA.
Storylines: Alex Pereira headlines the oldest PPV card ever
When Alex Pereira defends his UFC light heavyweight championship for the third time on Saturday, it will have been just 99 days since he made his second title defense in late June. Pereira, who faces Khalil Rountree Jr. in the UFC 307 main event, is not one to sit idle. He made his first defense of the belt in April, only 77 days before his second.
To put Pereira's full-sprint run of championship activity in perspective, consider that of the other three UFC champs who have a fight currently booked, not one will step inside the cage having competed within the past 250 days. When Jon Jones puts his heavyweight title on the line in November, it will have been 580 days since he last fought.
Ankalaev gets Pereira-Rountree winner? Pennington-Pena winner best at 135?
Real or not: Pereira-Rountree is the most entertaining fight at UFC 307.
Very real. This fight wasn't made because Rountree necessarily earned it. This fight is all about Pereira making yet another quick turnaround against an opponent who will stand and bang with him.