In a fight that saw Pereira’s elite-level striking skills come up against one of his most stubborn opponents to date, the reigning 205-pound champion eventually broke down a game Rountree before eventually finishing him with a vicious salvo of strikes in the closing minute of Round 4.
Rountree stood and traded with Pereira from the start, putting his faith in his own punch power against the former two-division GLORY kickboxing champion. And, while he wasn’t able to make the breakthrough he had hoped for, his willingness to stand and bang with the champion meant that Pereira had to mind his P’s and Q’s throughout the contest.
But, as the fight moved into the middle rounds, it was clear who the better striker was, as Pereira had Rountree busted up and bleeding by the end of Round 3, with a flying knee the highlight as the champion took the action into the championship rounds with a clear advantage.
And, after systematically breaking down his opponent over the course of the first 15 minutes, he used the fourth round to apply the finishing touches, as he pressed forward, landing cleanly while staying mindful of his defensive responsibilities. It meant the finish may have come later than it might have, but “Poatan” ensured that he not only got the stoppage, but did so without running the risk of getting countered, as he picked and chose his shots carefully to create the opening, then closed the show with a vicious combination to seal a dominant win.
In the co-main event, Julianna Pena edged a split-decision verdict to recapture the UFC women’s bantamweight title and become a two-time UFC champion with victory over Raquel Pennington.
After what looked like a Pennington round in Round 1, Pena took over in Rounds 2 and 3. But, after the champion came storming back in the fourth with a knockdown of Pena, it seemed like the fight was in the balance heading into the final frame. But, despite what looked like a strong final five minutes from Pennington, it was Pena whose hand was raised after the judges were split on the final outcome.
Pena’s win prompted mixed reactions on social media, with some declaring the fight a robbery, while Pena’s refusal to acknowledge Kayla Harrison as the next challenger for the title – instead calling for a fight with the retired former champ Amanda Nunes – also drew some social media backlash for “The Venezuelan Vixen.”
Harrison had made her statement earlier in the night with a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over No. 2 contender Ketlen Vieira. The two-time Olympic judo champion and former two-time PFL champ earned scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 to put herself at the front of the line to challenge for the belt next.
Also on the card, there was a split-decision win for Mario Bautista, who edged Jose Aldo after three rounds in their bantamweight matchup, while Roman Dolidze claimed a first-round TKO victory over Kevin Holland after Holland was pulled out of the fight by his corner before the start of Round 2.
There was also a statement-making win in the featured preliminary card fight of the night, as Joaquin Buckley knocked out former two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the third round of their 170-pound matchup to confirm his credentials as a legitimate threat to the division’s best.
In the early prelims, there was a home-state victory for Utah’s own Court McGee, who defeated fellow Octagon veteran Tim Means via first-round neck crank submission. But it wasn’t to be a fairytale farewell for Carla Esparza, who lost her retirement fight to Tecia Pennington after their matchup went all the way to the judges’ scorecards.
Esparza will forever remain in the UFC’s history books as the promotion’s inaugural women’s strawweight champion, and the two-time 115-pound queen bowed out after the judges scored the fight 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 to Pennington.
UFC 307: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Alex Pereira def. Khalil Rountree Jr. via TKO (punches) – Round 4, 4:32 – for light heavyweight title
- Julianna Pena def. Raquel Pennington via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) – for women’s bantamweight title
- Mario Bautista def. Jose Aldo via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Roman Dolidze def. Kevin Holland via TKO (corner stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
- Kayla Harrison def. Ketlen Vieira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Joaquin Buckley def. Stephen Thompson via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 2:17
- Iasmin Lucindo def. Marina Rodriguez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Alexander Hernandez def. Austin Hubbard via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
- Cesar Almeida def. Ihor Potieria via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
EARLY PRELIMS
- Ryan Spann def. Ovince Saint Preux via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:35
- Tecia Pennington def. Carla Esparza via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Court McGee def. Tim Means via submission (neck crank) – Round 1, 3:19
