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UFC 307 invades Salt Lake City, with the Delta Center as the venue Saturday evening. There’s a bout between Alex Pereira (11-2-0) and Khalil Rountree, the light heavyweight title on the line.
Rountree will get his first shot at a title in his (14-5-0, 1NC) UFC career at the age of 34. Some didn’t think that deserved a shot, expecting to see Magomed Ankalaev to get his turn.
Anaklaev’s boring, however, and doesn’t excite the crowds. He’s still on the Oct. 26th UFC 308 card against Aleksander Rakic.
Before Saturday’s feature, UFC will offer a co-main event in the women’s bantamweight division. It will be Raquel Pennington (16-9-0) against Julianna Pena (12-5-0). Pena is an ex-champ, but currently it’s Pennington holding the belt.
UFC has three other fights on the main card Saturday evening. There’s former champ Jose Aldo (32-8-0) opposing Mario Bautista (14-2-0) in a bantamweight event, along with a featured women’s bantamweight event between Ketlen Vieira (14-3-0) and 17-1-0 Kayla Harrison.
Also, Roman Dolidze (13-3-3) is tackling the 26-11-0 (1NC) Kevin Holland.
Looking at the board, Pennington is the -165 favorite to defeat Pena (+135). This will be a five- rounder since there’s a title on the line.
Another five-round affair (at least scheduled) has Pereira a prohibitive -460 against the +335 Roundtree, according to UFC 307 odds.
The two main fights are previewed, along with our choices…
Pennington vs. Pena
This past January, Raquel Pennington won the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 297. She’s been the champ since then, and with a win, she will probably retain the belt a bit longer.
Pennington is both an accurate striker as well as an proven ‘avoider’ of her opponents,
Pena is a dominant grappler who figures to be aggressive. She’s also legit when it comes to takedowns, so perhaps it’s Pennington trying to get back to her feet in the octagon.
Six submissions and three technical knockouts in her career makes Pena a dangerous foe.
It’s ending in a decision, at least how we look at it.
If Pennington remains on her feet, she will land strikes which could help her win the night. However, Pena has a chance to floor Pennington and earn a submission here.
A split decision is not out of the question, though the board favors Pennington because oddsmakers believe she can stay on her feet. She is more durable and accurate.
Pennington is on a six-fight win streak entering Saturday evening, 11 of her 16 career wins have been via decision. If she protects herself and lands a fair amount of her punches, she will escape with the decision.
Rountree vs. Pereira
As was mentioned, there were pundits wanting Magomed Ankalaev in the octagon. However, Alex Pereira and the UFC think he’s a boring fighter who doesn’t move the needle with the fans.
Enter Khalil Rountree as Pereira’s foe in the light heavyweight title bout at UFC 307.
Pereira has hinted at a return to the middleweight division, saying his light-heavyweight division status was only because of the fluctuations in weights.
Winning this match requires Pereira to dominate his leg kicks. Rountree is typically aggressive early in his bouts, so Pereira needs to counter that aggressiveness with some hooks. Pereira needs to avoid the Rountee right hooks. If he does, expect Pereira to Rountree and finish him.
Twenty-one of Pereira’s 33 wins have been ny knockout.
Rountree’s five-fight UFC win streak is all well and good. He hasn’t been in against the elite. It’s difficult to imagine Rountree winning, though Pereira does not offer much value in this bout.
There are more wagers available in the sportsbook, as per martial arts odds.
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