Tag: Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 307 title fight

Unlike his previous title fights, Alex Pereira is a huge favorite heading into UFC 307.

Light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] will go for his third consecutive title defense when he meets [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] in the UFC 307 main event.

Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree preview

UFC 307 will mark the third time Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) headlines a pay-per-view in 2024 after already defending his belt with a first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 and a second-round knockout of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303. A former middleweight champion, Pereira is looking to win his fourth light heavyweight title fights in a span of 11 months.

Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) is an unexpected choice for title challenger given he’s officially just No. 8 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings and was recently suspended after self-reporting a positive drug test for a banned steroid, which canceled a fight with Hill. It was later determined that Rountree’s test result was caused by a tainted supplement.

A 34-year-old veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Rountree is on a five-fight winning streak with four stoppages, including a third-round finish of former title challenger Anthony Smith this past December. He has three post-fight bonuses in that stretch.

Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree odds

Unlike his previous title fights, Pereira will enter UFC 307 as a huge favorite, with oddsmakers listing the champ at -520 and Rountree a +350 underdog, via FanDuel.

How to watch Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree at UFC 307

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 2024
  • Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307. 

Khalil Rountree aims to put on Hall of Fame worthy fight vs. Alex Pereira at UFC 307

Is Khalil Rountree is determined to entertain at the expense of winning a UFC title? Seems like it.

The biggest moment of [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]’s professional MMA career is coming soon.

In a few weeks, Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) will step into the octagon for his first UFC championship fight, and he’ll do so against one of the most dangerous fighters in the history of the sport – [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]. The two light heavyweights meet in the main event of UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City.

Rountree can’t wait for fight night. He believes he’s on the cusp of creating MMA history, along with Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC).

“I literally have no intention of shooting for takedowns or trying to take what people would consider the easy route,” Rountree told Michael Bisping on his YouTube channel. “I’m here to – honestly, I want to put on a fight to remember. For me, this is a fight that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life. This is a moment in my story that I’m going to remember.

“I want to do the same thing and deliver the same things for the fans. I want this to be one of those fights where people talk about for years to come. Hopefully both of us do enough in our careers where this fight can make the Hall of Fame, something like that. When I think about this fight, I think of something that’s pure entertainment for the fans and for ourselves.”

Pereira is a former two-division Glory Kickboxing champion and stands today as one of the most feared strikers in MMA. Many believe that wrestling is the path to victory against Pereira.

Although Rountree doesn’t disagree, he wants to remain loyal to his style and the type of fighting that got him to a UFC championship fight.

“It doesn’t make sense. I’m not a wrestler,” Rountree said when asked if he was going to have a wrestling approach. “Yes, I’m a mixed martial artist, I’m able to do a lot of different things, my grappling is good, my wrestling is decent, but that’s just not me. That’s just not my instinct. So why would I put myself in harms way to try to secure this victory when that’s just not me. That’s just not my style.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Robert Whittaker: Fighting Dricus Du Plessis at middleweight a bad idea for Alex Pereira

Robert Whittaker is warning Alex Pereira not to fight fellow UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis at middleweight.

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] is warning [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] not to fight fellow UFC champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] at middleweight.

Light heavyweight champ Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) expressed interest in dropping back down to 185 pounds to challenge middleweight champ Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who’s fresh off a fourth-round submission of Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. The last time Pereira competed at middleweight, he was knocked out by Adesanya at UFC 287. He has since dominated the light heavyweight division, but Whittaker thinks draining himself back down to 185 pounds would be detrimental to him.

“Honestly I don’t think that’s a good fight for him,” Whittaker told Submission Radio. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good fight for him. But also like, when you move up to light heavyweight, moving back down is tricky.

“And it’s not like you move up for one fight. He stayed up there. He’s been fighting up there for a while now. So, it would take a lot out of him to get down, and Dricus is so strong there.”

Whittaker also thinks Pereira wouldn’t be able to handle Du Plessis’ power at middleweight.

“Well, Alex gets hit, OK, and Dricus likes getting hit,” Whittaker said. “So it’s hard to see someone with the amount of power to stop Dricus from walking forward into you, and Dricus hits hard. You saw that in the fight against Adesanya. Adesanya has got like a really good chin, and Dricus was still hurting him enough to make him uncomfortable.”

Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) will look to notch his third light heavyweight title defense when he takes on Khalil Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the UFC 307 main event Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC champ Alex Pereira says Magomed Ankalaev refused to fight him; Ankalaev says otherwise

Alex Pereira says he was ready to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev next.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] says he was ready to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship against [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] next.

Instead, Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) drew Khalil Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the UFC 307 main event Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City. Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) will face Aleksandar Rakic Oct. 26 at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.

The matchmaking left many confused, but Pereira claims it’s Ankalaev who didn’t want to fight him.

“A lot of people ask me, I always wanted to fight against Ankalaev,” Pereira said in Protguese, according to his YouTube channel translation. “I threw that to the organization, left it very clear, but Ankalaev didn’t want to fight against me. I don’t know the reason, if it was the location, if he just didn’t want to. He isn’t the champion. He can’t pick anything.

“I think it’s the opportunity that shows up. He didn’t want it. He has his reasoning. I don’t know what it is. I came to tell you guys I’m not scared of anyone. Everyone knows my history, everything I’ve done, who I went against – not just in MMA but kickboxing. It’s obvious that I want to fight this guy.”

Ankalaev, who’s unbeaten in his past 12 fights, said otherwise, claiming that the UFC never offered him a title fight.

“@AlexPereiraUFC you are a liar. You said I turned (fight) down against you. @danawhite @Mickmaynard2 never offer me a fight against you. I’m gonna make you eat your word after I handle my business.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Sean Strickland: Alex Pereira not going back down to middleweight, ‘looked like death’ in last cut

Sean Strickland doubts Alex Pereira moves back down to 185 pounds.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] doubts [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] moves back down to 185 pounds.

After Dricus Du Plessis retained his middleweight title with a submission of Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, light heavyweight champion Pereira sent him a warning.

Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) said he’d drop to middleweight one more time to face Du Plessis, but Strickland strongly advises him against that move.

“His big ass ain’t going back down to 185, dude,” Strickland told ESPN. “As a welterweight that moved up to 185, once you get used to that weight class, the thought of going back down sounds miserable. I think Alex should fight (Du Plessis) at 205 any day of the week. Any day of the week, he sits at 205, 100 percent.”

Pereira’s most recent appearance at middleweight came at UFC 287 when he lost his middleweight title to Adesanya by knockout. He has since moved up to 205 pounds, where he ruled over the division by claiming the title and defending it twice.

Strickland recalls seeing Pereira in rough shape prior to his fight with Adesanya at UFC 287. Du Plessis himself would rather fight Pereira at light heavyweight over middleweight.

“I remember seeing Alex for his last fight (at middleweight) in the back room, and he looked like death,” Strickland said. “When he last middleweight cut, I walked to go say hi to him, and he just looked like f*cking death – to the point where I’m like, ‘Man, this ain’t good for you dude, go up.’ I think at 205 he’d do in a heartbeat, but 185 I can’t see him doing that, luckily for us.”

Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the UFC 307 main event in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Video: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree set for UFC 307. Was it the right fight to make?

What to make the UFC 307 championship booking of Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Roundtree? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s next title defense is one few saw coming.

The Brazilian star is set to defend his UFC light heavyweight belt against [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] in the main event of UFC 307, which is set to go down in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5. Accompanying this 205-pound-title fight, a women’s bantamweight championship bout between [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] and [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag] will serve as the co-main event of the card.

So, did Rountree deserve to challenge Pereira, or should the UFC have waited and given Magomed Ankalaev the shot? Should the UFC have gone with Kayla Harrison as the next opponent for Pennington?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia discuss the title fight bookings for UFC 307.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

https://youtube.com/live/7LMXg2Uksr4

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Chael Sonnen: Khalil Rountree is going to ‘walk through’ Alex Pereira at UFC 307

Chael Sonnen has a bold take regarding Alex Pereira’s next title defense.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] has a bold take regarding [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s next title defense.

Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) defends his light heavyweight title against [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the UFC 307 headliner Oct. 5 at Salt Lake City.

Many think Rountree is undeserving of the title shot, and see Magomed Ankalaev as the more worthy No. 1 contender. Sonnen on the other hand sees Rountree as a bad matchup for Pereira.

“First off, let me give you the hot take of the day: Khalil Rountree is going to walk through Pereira,” Sonnen said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” alongside Daniel Cormier. “That is the worst matchup I could think of. This is ‘Smackdown’ invading ‘Raw,’ and let me explain. When we think of who’s going to go fight for a title on pay-per-view, we think of other guys who have won a whole bunch of fights on pay-per-view. Well, Khalil was from Smackdown. He came from the other show.

“He’s been fighting on the Fight Nights and at the (UFC) Apex and things like this. He’s still won (five) in a row, he stopped (four) of those sons of a guns, and one of them is a former No. 1 contender, our good friend (Anthony) ‘Lionheart’ (Smith). … I will tell you this because I don’t know how familiar you are or the rest of the fans are with Khalil, but he does his absolute best work when he’s being attacked by a kickboxer. It’s not Khalil swarming somebody or taking them down or submitting them. He is a counter fighter, and he loves when you punch or kick at him first.”

Sonnen acknowledges Pereira’s aura, comparing him to other legendary fighters that were able to intimidate their opponents prior to the fight even starting.

Sonnen doesn’t see that happening to Rountree though.

“Mike Tyson used to make guys quit in the back, Cain Velasquez would have guys wilt in the back. Anderson Silva would make guys wilt in the back as they were so scared of what was going to happen. Pereira is entering that territory,” Sonnen said. “Rountree is the wrong matchup.

“All those scary punches and kicks that Pereira does, that’s where Rountree does his finest work. This is a massive disaster for anybody that thinks the UFC is trying to protect Alex. If they’re trying to protect Alex, somebody just made a big mistake.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC champ Belal Muhammad vows to make welterweight great again: ‘I’ll be their Alex Pereira and step up’

Belal Muhammad wants to be an active champion.

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] wants to be an active champion.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) upset Leon Edwards to claim the welterweight title with a dominant performance at UFC 304 in July, and hopes to compete again before the end of the year.

Muhammad was critical of Edwards’ lack of activity as champion, and is ready to step in for the UFC when needed – just like light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] has done time and time again this year.

“I’d rather fight than not fight,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie Radio. “So hopefully if I can get into the last card of the year in December, that’ll be great for me. I think that makes a lot of sense. You just never know if they don’t want to put nobody on (Conor) McGregor’s card, but I doubt McGregor is even fighting.

“So if they need somebody for that, I’ll be their Alex Pereira and step up. I’m training in the gym. My boy ‘Nacho’ (Bahamondes) is fighting at Sphere in September, so I’ll be in camp helping him. I’m still motivated. I’m ready to go. I’m not going to be a Leon Edwards where I take a year off. I want to make this division great again, so let’s just stay active.”

Muhammad’s goals don’t stop there. An underdog in most of his recent fights, the 36-year-old wants to leave behind an undeniable legacy.

“I think I’m the most complete martial artist in the UFC where you see me go in fights and I’ve had to wrestle, then I’ve gone into fights where I’ve only had to strike, then I’ve gone into fights where I’ve had to defend takedowns,” Muhammad said. “I always adjust my style to whoever I’m fighting, and I could fight these guys where they’re worst at.

“I could take these guys where they’re uncomfortable. I’m comfortable everywhere, and I’m good everywhere. So when you’re thinking about what’s a complete martial artist – this guy could fight any way he wants to fight, and he adjusts his style to whoever he’s fighting – I want to be one of those guys you’re thinking of, because there are guys that are like specialists, and I’m special everywhere.”

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Eric Nicksick: Dricus Du Plessis would ‘have problems’ vs. Alex Pereira in battle of UFC champs

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick shares his analysis of a potential Dricus Du Plessis vs. Alex Pereira champ-vs.-champ showdown.

Xtreme Couture head coach [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] would struggle against [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag].

Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) welcomed Pereira’s challenge after he submitted Israel Adesanya to retain his middleweight title at UFC 305. Light heavyweight champion Pereira proposed they fight at middleweight, but Du Plessis prefers 205 pounds.

If they did fight at light heavyweight, Nicksick thinks Du Plessis’ striking style would finally catch up to him against Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC).

“So comparison-wise think about what Alex Pereira would do to a guy like Jiri Prochazka, and Jiri is very similar in the way of Dricus in the erratic behavior of the way he throws his punches,” Nicksick told Submission Radio. “I think Jiri is more of a feel fighter where he’s not putting pre-disposed combinations in his head off of these types of reads. He’s just kind of throwing. Whereas Dricus is throwing these things, but he’s also leaving his hands behind in certain positions, right? Like if he’s hitting that switch cross or switch overhand, he’s like one hand’s in the pocket, the other hand is in the pocket when he’s throwing that looping overhand.

“That’s where I think Alex Pereira is elite. I think he sees the holes in the defense. So, Dricus kind of hits those a couple times, and Alex catches that timing. That’s where his counter striking is so great. I think that’s where Dricus will have problems. I don’t think you can have that same type of approach as many times as he did against Izzy as he could against Alex Pereira. It’s like that using the same pickup line at the bar with the same girl over and over and over, and finally she’s like, ‘Fine, here. F*cking here’s my number,’ you know? But after a while you’re like, dude, like, this is not going to work. Like you got to – but all of a sudden it works. You’re like, ‘God damn it.'”

Du Plessis has options for his next title defense but thinks Robert Whittaker would be more worthy of a rematch than Sean Strickland if he can get past Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308.

Strickland’s head coach, Nicksick, disagrees.

“I think Robert Whittaker is a guy who always is deserving of a title shot, especially when he’s winning the fashion that he is winning,” Nicksick said. “But when push comes to shove, if you’re just comparing the two, the two common opponents. Dricus finished Robert Whittaker, and he arguably won a very close split decision vs. Sean Strickland. Right? So I think the fans want to see that finished. I think Sean has earned that right.”

Strickland was edged out by Du Plessis in their title fight at UFC 297. He has since rebounded with a win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 and refuses to fight anyone but Du Plessis for the title next.

Nicksick expects another war if they run things back.

“You would love to say like, ‘Oh, we’re going to go in there and smoke this dude,'” Nicksick said. “But Dricus, he’ll look awful and then then he comes back in and does his thing. So, you’ve got to expect a knockdown, drag-out fight, 2-2 going into Round 5. Hey, we’re down to the last five minutes. You know, we’re going to have to dig deep and figure out a way to get this fight. That’s how we have to train. That’s how we have to expect it. It’s going to be to the death.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.

Joe Rogan would ‘fly to the moon to commentate’ Alex Pereira vs. Dricus Du Plessis

The idea of Alex Pereira vs. Dricus Du Plessis has Joe Rogan salivating.

The idea of [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] has [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] salivating.

Middleweight champion Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) was called out by Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) after he retained his title with a fourth-round submission of Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.

Du Plessis accepted light heavyweight champion Pereira’s callout – but at 205 pounds, not middleweight. Rogan had high praise for Du Plessis after his finish of Adesanya.

“(He’s) very awkward, no quit, big power, super durable, takes a great shot, amazing heart,” Rogan said of Du Plessis during his Fight Companion podcast. “I mean, he got pieced up. He rocked him (Adesanya). Those are big right hands. They caught him right in the side of the head and then he caught him with two in a row.

“You can’t count that guy out. Whenever you have these exchanges and you see these winging punches come Izzy’s way, anything can happen. When you’re tired and you’re not moving back as good as you were in the second and the first (rounds), sh*t happens. That’s a definitive victory.”

Rogan was especially impressed with the fashion that Du Plessis defeated Adesanya. Prior to getting submitted by Du Plessis, Adesanya had only been finished once in his career – a TKO loss to Pereira.

“He finished Izzy with a rear-naked choke,” Rogan said. “Nobody’s finished Izzy like that in a fight ever in the UFC. No one’s submitted him like that. That’s a crazy victory.”

Rogan thinks Du Plessis is a big middleweight and could handle moving up a division. He isn’t sure how he’d handle Pereira’s power though.

“He could definitely go to 205,” Rogan said. “Wouldn’t you love to see him try? He can take a shot, for sure. But can you take a shot from that guy (Pereira)? Can you take a shot from that guy at 205? Because that guy at 205 puts everybody night-night. Everybody goes night-night.”

Rogan hasn’t called a pay-per-view outside of the U.S. in years, but says he would make an exception for Pereira vs. Du Plessis.

“If Dricus goes up to 205 and fights Alex, oh my goodness,” Rogan said. “I’ll fly to the moon to commentate that fight. I want to see that fight. That’s crazy.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.