Brazil’s Alex Pereira made a stunning comeback to knock out Khalil Rountree Jr. and retain his light heavyweight title at UFC 307. Despite a challenging start, where Rountree’s fast strikes and a second-round knockdown troubled Pereira, the Brazilian turned the fight around in the later rounds. Pereira’s relentless calf kicks and body shots in the third and fourth rounds slowed Rountree, leading to a series of heavy punches and an uppercut that forced the stoppage late in the fourth.
Pereira, a former middleweight champion, hinted at a future move to heavyweight but dismissed immediate plans out of respect for his training partner and heavyweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis. “This division is great… I feel great with this weight cut,” Pereira said post-fight.
Julianna Pena Reclaims Bantamweight Title in Split Decision Win
In the co-main event, Julianna Pena defeated Raquel Pennington by split decision to reclaim the women’s bantamweight crown. After losing her title to Amanda Nunes in a rematch last year, Pena faced a tough five-round battle with Pennington, who won the belt in January. Although Pennington believed she had done enough to retain her title, two of the judges ruled in favor of Pena, allowing her to reclaim the championship she first won in 2021.
