Tag: alex pereira

Khalil Rountree Reflects On Brutal Loss To Alex Pereira At UFC 307: ‘Didn’t Win The Title But I Grew’ 

Khalil Rountree had nothing but respect for victorious opponent Alex Pereira following their title fight at UFC 307 this past weekend. The pair headlined Saturday’s pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, battling for the right to exit the Delta Center as UFC light heavyweight champion. Defending king “Poatan” was heavily favored to do so, having already […]

Continue Reading Khalil Rountree Reflects On Brutal Loss To Alex Pereira At UFC 307: ‘Didn’t Win The Title But I Grew’  at MMA News.

Khalil Rountree had nothing but respect for victorious opponent Alex Pereira following their title fight at UFC 307 this past weekend.

The pair headlined Saturday’s pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, battling for the right to exit the Delta Center as UFC light heavyweight champion.

Defending king “Poatan” was heavily favored to do so, having already turned away threats to his reign from Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka this year. Rountree, though, turned out to be the Brazilian’s toughest test to date.

The challenger got off to a strong start, winning the opening two rounds on all three scorecards. But after getting on the board in round three, Pereira went to work in the fourth frame.

An onslaught of strikes left Rountree’s face swollen and bloodied, and Pereira was ultimately able to close the show in what marked his first taste of the championship rounds since capturing the middleweight crown almost two years ago.

Rountree Releases First Statement On UFC 307 Title Defeat

Soon after having his title ambitions stalled in the “Beehive State,” Rountree took to social media to reflect on the result and experience.

Following his failure to unseat Pereira, “The War Horse” paid tribute to “Poatan,” thanking the Brazilian for bringing out a “new version” of him at UFC 307.

“I didn’t win the title but I grew last night. @alexpoatanpereira thanks for helping me see that I’m ready to take on the world,” Rountree wrote. “You showed amazing skill, you brought out a version of me that I needed to experience. You’re the champ for a reason, much respect. But I now know what I am capable of.

“#saltlakecity you guys were amazing and gave me such a memorable experience. I appreciate all of the positive messages from everyone around the world. @danawhite @espn @espnmma and the entire @ufc staff, thanks for giving me a home, a place to have purpose and providing me with challenges to overcome,” Rountree continued. “Brazil ?? you guys have a strong champion, be proud. I will take time to heal from this, I’ll be back even better, it’s inevitable. I’m grateful. Never give up on yourself, always fight hard, uplift your communities and find ways to make the most out of life.”

It remains to be seen what lies ahead for Rountree, who was granted his first shot at title glory on MMA’s biggest stage from #8 in the rankings.

With that, an upset win would have marked the 34-year-old as the lowest-ranked fighter to capture gold in their division. And although that didn’t come to fruition, things initially looked promising through 10 minutes.

Continue Reading Khalil Rountree Reflects On Brutal Loss To Alex Pereira At UFC 307: ‘Didn’t Win The Title But I Grew’  at MMA News.

MMA Analyst Explains How Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Performance Differed From Win Against Israel Adesanya

Alex Pereira has defended the UFC light heavyweight three times in 2024 while breaking Ronda Rousey’s record of the quickest turnarounds between three title defenses. Although many believed Khalil Rountree to be a much easier opponent than former champs Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka, “The War Horse” gave Pereira one of his toughest UFC fights. […]

Continue Reading MMA Analyst Explains How Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Performance Differed From Win Against Israel Adesanya at MMA News.

Alex Pereira has defended the UFC light heavyweight three times in 2024 while breaking Ronda Rousey’s record of the quickest turnarounds between three title defenses.

Although many believed Khalil Rountree to be a much easier opponent than former champs Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka, “The War Horse” gave Pereira one of his toughest UFC fights. The challenger won the first two rounds and compelled the champion to make several adjustments.

Luke Thomas, like countless others, has all the praise in the world for Pereira’s UFC 307 performance. While breaking it down, he explained how “Poatan” handled Rountree and Israel Adesanya in vastly different ways…

Luke Thomas Breaks Down Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Win Over Khalil Rountree By Comparing It To His First MMA Win Over Israel Adesanya

Thomas reacted to the UFC 307 main event on his YouTube channel recently. Right away, he shut down people claiming that the light heavyweight kingpin shouldn’t have faced trouble against the no. 8 ranked person in the division.

Then, the analyst explained how Rountree forced Pereira to change his traditional game plan that involves inside leg kicks, jabs to the body, head kicks, and most importantly, the left hook. None of these elements seemed to work against “The War Horse” in the first two rounds following which “Poatan” relied on his left jab and gradually mixed things up.

“I cannot overstate to you how difficult that is for most fighters, including most elite fighters. Most elite fighters have a game. This is what they do. And if that doesn’t work, and they’re still five, ten, 15 minutes, they have no other gear to go to. And in fact, I’m going to say this in a complimentary way, that is what ultimately happened to Khalil Rountree. He had a game and it was very very potent but once Poatan was able to like plug little holes in it and it began to leak, there was no going back.”

Thomas highlighted how hard it is for fighters, regardless of skill and experience, to ditch their game plan mid-fight. To explain this further, he compared the significant strikes stats for the UFC 307 main event to the first UFC fight between Pereira and Adesanya.

Against Rountree, the Brazilian landed 72% head strikes, 13% body strikes, and 14% leg kicks. Against Adesanya at UFC 281, he landed 46% head strikes, 29% body strikes, and 24% leg kicks. Although both fights ended similarly, the difference in Pereira’s approach is evident.

“This is proof positive. He didn’t have to work for the jab [against Adesanya] nearly as much in this one and the jab is obviously relevant to the body too, but. look at how much the jab to the top of the head was absolutely critical.”

Continue Reading MMA Analyst Explains How Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Performance Differed From Win Against Israel Adesanya at MMA News.

‘It’s Ungodly’ – Joe Rogan Shares Marc Goddard’s Startling Comment on Alex Pereira’s Devastating Power

Joe Rogan, Alex PereiraLongtime MMA referee Marc Goddard made a series of chilling remarks about Alex Pereira during a brief interaction with…

Joe Rogan, Alex Pereira

Longtime MMA referee Marc Goddard made a series of chilling remarks about Alex Pereira during a brief interaction with Joe Rogan after UFC 307.

Pereira defeated Khalil Rountree Jr. by fourth-round TKO to retain the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 307. After a back-and-forth first three rounds of action, Pereira poured it on at the start of the championship rounds and systematically broke down his opponent with his striking.

Rogan and Goddard have been two staples of mixed martial arts during the sport’s rapid ascension. While both of them have seen almost every type of fighting style inside the Octagon, Pereira’s UFC run is unprecedented.

So unprecedented that Goddard puts Pereira’s power in a class of its own, as he discussed with Rogan just before the official UFC 307 result was announced.

Joe Rogan Reveals Chilling Conversation About Alex Pereira’s Power

Near the end of the UFC 307 broadcast, Rogan shared his post-fight conversation with Goddard.

“I was in the octagon after the fight and Marc Goddard came up to me and he said, ‘I’ve been doing this for 20 years. The way he hits people, the sound, is like nothing I’ve ever heard before.’ He said, ‘It’s ungodly.’” Rogan said. “That’s what he kept saying, he said, ‘It’s ungodly.’” (h/t SportsKeeda)

Pereira set the promotional record for the fewest UFC bouts to win multiple world titles. After finishing Rountree at UFC 307, Pereira has successfully defended the light heavyweight title three times in seven months.

Goddard officiated some of the most notable bouts in UFC history, including Pereira’s first UFC title win at UFC 281. During his extensive fighting and officiating career, one fighter’s power stands alone for Goddard.

Conor McGregor Wins Big with $1 Million Bet on UFC 307 Main Event KO Finish

Conor McGregor, Alex Pereira, Khalil Rountree Jr.UFC superstar Conor McGregor made a massive gamble on the UFC 307 main event between Alex Pereira and Khalil…

Conor McGregor, Alex Pereira, Khalil Rountree Jr.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor made a massive gamble on the UFC 307 main event between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr.

McGregor’s leap of faith paid off massively.

McGregor was supposed to make his UFC return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June. But, he withdrew from the event due to a toe injury, and his planned UFC comeback is indefinitely postponed.

As McGregor enjoys life away from the Octagon, he took in an eventful evening at UFC 307. Watching from afar, McGregor decided to place a $1 million wager on Pereira vs. Rountree ending inside the five-round distance.

Pereira vs. Rountree ended up being a bloody war for as long as the fight lasted. After Rountree gave Pereira some early-round troubles, Pereira put it on him in the later rounds, and eventually finished the action in Round 4.

McGregor, after winning the bet, took to social media to praise the UFC 307 main event fighters.

Conor McGregor banks big after Alex Pereira’s latest KO

Watch McGregor’s since-deleted video below.

“I AM PUTTING A MILLION U.S. DOWN ON A KO TAKING PLACE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER HERE IN THIS MAIN EVENT, @DuelbitsOdds are 1/5. A million wins back $200k. Let’s see…” McGregor said in a since-deleted tweet. (h/t talkSPORT)

McGregor then confirmed Pereira’s TKO win earned himself a $200k profit.

“$200k baby! THE RICH GET RICHER! Called it play by play! What a fighter, Poatan! Incredible!” McGregor said.

McGregor isn’t a stranger to placing massive wagers on fights. He’s bet big on boxing and MMA fights in recent years since his 2021 leg injury.

After securing a $200k profit, McGregor turns his attention to following up on a combat sports comeback. In the meantime, he continues to enjoy life away from the combat spotlight.

UFC 307 Results: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Main Event Stats By The Numbers

UFC 307 Results Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Main Event Stats By The Numbers 2Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, the main event of UFC 307, ‘Potan was able to defend his title by…

UFC 307 Results Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Main Event Stats By The Numbers 2

Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, the main event of UFC 307, ‘Potan was able to defend his title by TKO in round 4. It was a back-and-forth incredible matchup. Let’s break down the fight by the numbers to get a clearer picture of how it unfolded.

UFC 307 Stats: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree

Overall, Alex Pereira demonstrated superior striking efficiency throughout the bout, landing 127 significant strikes out of 209 attempts for a 60% accuracy rate. In contrast, Rountree Jr. connected with 61 out of 191 attempts, managing only a 31% success rate. Most importantly, the calf kicks and jabs from Pereira made all the difference. The speed, and in and out work, Rountree was giving the Brazilian titleholder problems for much of the fight. But the round-by-round numbers are more important in this case than the overall.

Throughout the fight, Pereira demonstrated a more varied striking approach. While both fighters primarily targeted the head, Pereira mixed in more body and leg strikes. He landed 92 head strikes, 17 body strikes, which were vital for the finish, plus 18 leg strikes mainly targeting the calf. Compared to Rountree’s 34 head strikes, 16 body strikes, and 11 leg strikes.

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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 05: (L-R) Opponents Alex Pereira of Brazil and Khalil Rountree Jr. face off prior to the UFC light heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 307 event at Delta Center on October 05, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Round 1

Both fighters felt each other out in the first round. Pereira landed 15 significant strikes to Rountree’s 10, setting the tone for his dominance. ‘Poatan‘ rushed him in the opening few seconds, but Rountree countered and survived. Rountree struggled with only 10 of 42 (23%), while Pereira started strong, landing 15 of 27 significant strikes (55%).

UFC 307 Stats: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree jr

Round 2

The second round saw a similar pattern, with Pereira slightly increasing his output to 18 significant strikes while Rountree remained at 11. Here, Alex Pereira missed a head kick and was forced to eat a hard counter from the US-born challenger. Rountree connected with 11 of 42 strikes (26%) here and Pereira earned 18 of 41 significant strikes (43%).

Round 3

The third round marked a turning point in the fight. Both fighters significantly upped their output, with Pereira landing 31 significant strikes and Rountree connecting with 25. Alex Pereira landed 31 of 49 significant strikes (63%), compared to Rountree’s 25 of 54 (46%). Here, the jab and calf kick began showing their effects.

Round 4

In the final round, Pereira showcased his championship-level striking, landing an impressive 63 significant strikes out of 92 attempts for a 68% accuracy rate. Rountree, on the other hand, only managed to land 15 out of 53 attempts. During this round, Pereira scored the only knockdown of the fight, ultimately leading to the TKO finish at 4:32 of the fourth round.

alex pereira ufc 307

The UFC 307 main event between Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree was an incredible striking showdown between a veteran kickboxing against a Muay Thai stylist. The speed from the US-born challenger gave tons of issues against the Brazilian champion until ‘Poatan’ found his calf kick and jab that changed the fight.