Alex Pereira stops Khalil Rountree Jr. in UFC 307 main event

UFC 307 took place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday and was headlined by light heavyweight title bout between champion Alex Pereira and hard-hitting Khalil Rountree Jr.

Pereira has looked unstoppable since moving up to the 205-pound division in July 2023.  He’s defeated three former champions: Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, and Jamahal Hill and has finished his last three opponents.  

Rountree Jr. made the walk to the octagon riding a five-fight winning streak and had finished four of his last five opponents.

Pereira came across the octagon and tried to land a kick.  Rountree briefly caught it but Pereira got his leg away.  Rountree connected with a left hand.  Pereira inched forward with a jab.  Pereira delivered a hard leg kick.  Rountree responded with a left hand.  Pereira connected with a counter right hand.  Pereira landed another leg kick.  Rountree pressed forward with a combination but came up short with his strikes.  Pereira continued to target the Rountree’s legs with kicks.  

With two minutes left in the round, Rountree unloaded a combination that was mostly blocked.  Rountree connected with a clean right hand.  He rushed forward and landed a left hand.  Rountree landed a left hand.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Rountree with the cleaner shots, but it was a close round.   

Pereira came out pressuring Rountree in the second.  Pereira landed a leg kick.  He went high with a kick but it was blocked.  Rountree had thrown a kick at that point.  Pereira connected with a right hand counter.  Rountree responded with a right hook.  Pereira continued to delivered leg kicks.  Pereira continued to inch forward.  Rountree checked a leg kick. 

Rountree found a home for his right hand.  Pereira reacted with a leg kick.  Pereira missed with a kick and Rountree knocked him down with a right hand.  Pereira immediately got back to his feet and pressed forward.  Rountree exploded forward with a combination.  Pereira connected with a right hand.  Rountree went high with a kick that landed.  Pereira simply ate it.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Rountree.      

Like in the two previous rounds, Pereira pressured Rountree.  Rountree connected with a counter right hand that forced Pereira to back away.  Pereira partially landed a head kick.  Rountree went to the body with a right hand.  Pereira connected with a clean right hand counter.  Rountree returned fire with a left hook.  Pereira landed back-to-back leg kicks.  He connected with another one.  Rountree countered with a left hand.  

They exchanged jabs.  Rountree landed a straight left.  Pereira landed a kick to the body that backed Rountree up.  Pereira repeatedly landed his jab followed by a leg kick.  Pereira landed a left hand and clinched.  He delivered a knee to the body at the bell.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Pereira.     

Rountree landed a leg kick to start the fourth.  They exchanged leg kicks.  Pereira delivered a front kick to the body.  Pereira continued to press forward.  Pereira’s leg kicks started to land up.  Pereira connected with a hard right hand.  Rountree’s face started showing the damage sustained.  Pereira connected with a counter right hand.  He landed another right hand followed by a knee.  

Midway through the round, Pereira sensed a finish.  Pereira connected with a combination.  A right hand sent Rountree back peddling.  Rountree was backed up against the cage with Pereira landing.  Rountree fired back with a left hand.  Pereira clinched and landed a knee up the middle.  Rountree fired back.  Pereira went to the body with a combination and back up the middle with an uppercut.  Rountree crumbled to the canvas.    

The official time of the stoppage was 4:32 of the fourth round.