The UFC 307 main event was one of the most barbaric main event title fights in recent memory. Champion Alex Pereira and challenger Khalil Rountree put on an incredible display for spectators who couldn’t contain their enthusiasm. Joe Rogan was also impressed by the battle and had an unusual interaction with Rountree, who unfortunately lost the fight.
Going into the fight, Rountree promised fans a striking showdown, and that’s what he delivered despite the loss. The American fighter gave Pereira his toughest fight of 2024 and, in return, got his face battered by the Brazilian. During the post-fight octagon interview, Rountree had blood coming out of his nose, catching Rogan off-guard.
Rogan, as well as fight fans, gave Rountree his flowers for going the distance with Pereira and giving a competitive fight. Rountree showed great heart and was pleased with his performance. He took the loss with grace and definitely made a ton of new fans.
Rountree demonstrated his Muay Thai kicks and was extremely quick with his hands, which caused problems for the champion. He was successful in landing different combos that ‘Poatan’ had no response to. However, as the match progressed, Rountree ran out of steam, resulting in his defeat.
How Alex Pereira systematically broke Khalil Rountree at UFC 307
Alex Pereira has been in six championship bouts, most of which were early rounds finishes. However, like Israel Adesanya, Khalil Rountree was able to take Pereira deep into the fight. While Pereira wasn’t very successful with punches, his kicks on Rountree’s legs kept compounding the damage.
After the third round, Rountree looked depleted and Pereira made sure to capitalize to get the TKO victory. He showed patience and finally didn’t rush the finishing sequence. Instead, he aimed for the very right moment. During the octagon interview, the Brazilian detailed his game plan.
This was one of the toughest fights, I expected that. I watched a lot of his fights, I studied his fights…The game plan was to let him tire. I saw that he started decreasing his stamina in the second round and as you know my stamina only goes up so that’s what happened.
Alex Pereira via UFC 307 octagon interview
Poatan was respectful towards Rountree, and both fighters hugged each other after the fight in a wholesome moment. It was Alex Pereira’s third successful title defense in seven months, which is an all-time UFC record. It would be interesting to see what the fighter plans to do in the upcoming months.
