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.
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%).
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%).
Challenger bringing some firepower
#UFC307 pic.twitter.com/tbIooTVvc8
— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2024
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.
HUGE land for the Champ
— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2024
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.