Alex Pereira delivered a mature and dominant performance at UFC 307, defeating Khalil Rountree Jr. with a fourth-round stoppage to retain his light heavyweight title and remain focused on defending his belt rather than pursuing a move to heavyweight.
There’s not much left to be said about Alex Pereira except Chama! Quite the catchphrase, isn’t it?
The light heavyweight champ delivered yet another jaw-dropping performance at UFC 307. He faced off against Khalil Rountree Jr., who came out swinging. But Pereira? He just kept pouring on the punishment.
By the fourth round, things got messy. Rountree’s face was a canvas of cuts and blood, thanks to Pereira’s relentless punches. Then came the moment—Pereira backed him against the cage, unleashed two brutal body shots, and bam! An uppercut that sent Rountree crashing down.
And just like that, at 4:32 in the fourth round, the fight was over. Pereira moved to 3-0 with three title defenses in 2024. Not too shabby!
“I can say that this was one of the toughest fights,” Pereira admitted post-victory. “I expected that. He showed tonight why he’s got so much quality in here.” Respectful words from a champ.
Rountree, though battered and bruised, had nothing but respect for Pereira. Despite falling short in his first championship attempt, he cherished the experience.
“My thought coming into this fight was just to be grateful,” Rountree reflected. “I embraced every moment. Honestly, I thought I’d land more punches, but Pereira did a great job evading.”
From the get-go, Rountree showed no fear. He launched fast punches from a distance. Pereira? He countered with a stiff calf kick, all while staying out of range.
Rountree tried finding his mark with his lead left hand but struggled due to Pereira’s height and reach advantage. By round’s end? He looked winded from chasing Pereira around.
Pereira remained dangerous, like a cobra ready to strike. He let Rountree tire himself out while waiting for openings to unleash his best shots.
A missed kick from Pereira led to a big counter from Rountree—a right hand that landed flush! It dropped Pereira momentarily but didn’t keep him down for long.
The third round saw Rountree open with a nasty body kick. In return, Pereira chipped away with calf kicks and heavy right hands up top.
Pereira’s pressure included lightning-quick jabs as Rountree got sloppy with counters. Just before the horn? A knee up the middle from Pereira nearly ended it.
Pereira’s jab continued its damage as blood poured down Rountree’s face. The champ was leading the dance while Rountree faded.
Then came that huge combination from Pereira—forcing Rountree back against the cage. Two massive body punches followed by an uppercut crumbled him to the canvas.
Another astonishing night for Pereira! His star power only grows with each victory. What’s next? He’s focused on defending his belt at light heavyweight for now.
“We saw Dricus [du Plessis] is fighting Sean Strickland,” said Pereira. “He’s my training partner; I won’t get in his way. Maybe heavyweight someday, but this division feels right.”