Alex Pereira has fast become one of the biggest stars in the UFC and it is easy to see why.
The Brazilian will only reach double figures of appearances in the UFC when he enters the Octagon against Khalil Rountree JR at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City this weekend and is already a two-weight world champion.
Raquel Pennington defends her Bantamweight title against former champion Julianna Peña in the co-main event on a card stacked full of fun fights.
UFC Tips
Alex Pereira to win by KO, TKO or DQ @ 3/10
Kayla Harrison to win by submission @ 4/1
Roman Dolidze to win @ 13/10
GET £20 IN FREE BETS WITH TALKSPORT BET*
Poatan power
Alex Pereira has shown himself to be an almost formidable force in the UFC.
The Brazilian has an 8-1 record that has seen him win the belt at Middleweight and Light Heavyweight.
This fight will be Pereira’s third defence of his 205lb strap this calendar year after taking out Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April before a rematch with Jiri Procházka at UFC 303.
Pereira won the belt off the Czech fighter at UFC 295 last November, getting another second-round stoppage in what was a rinse and repeat performance.
Khalil Rountree JR comes into this fight ranked at number 8 in the division, having secured a career-best win over former title challenger Anothony Smith last December.
The 34-year-old was due to face Jamahal Hill this summer but the fight fell through after the American flagged himself for a tainted supplement.
This fight is likely to exclusively take place on the feet with Pereira’s one takedown attempt totalling the combined number for both men in the UFC.
Rountree JR has seven KO/TKO wins from his 15 UFC contests, while Pereira has six from nine.
The level of competition the Brazilian has faced is much higher and his accuracy and deveasting power should see him able to get the job done here.
Kayla on collision course
Kayla Harrison is a multi-time world champion and two-time Olympic Judo champion who is now looking to make a short run to UFC Gold.
Making her promotional debut at UFC 300 in April, the 34-year-old submitted former champion Holly Holm by rear-naked in the second round.
Prior to her arrival, Harrison was 15-1 in rival promotion PFL, where she twice won the company’s Lightweight tournament.
Harrison has six wins, each by KO/TKO and submission, across both promotions and now at 135lbs will have a significant weight advantage over the majority of her rivals in the Octagon.
Ketlen Vieira is 8-3 in the UFC and was last seen in July 2023 winning a unanimous decision against Pannie Kianzad.
The 33-year-old has seen seven of her wins come by decision so is unlikely to be able to deter Harrison on the feet and has not seen anyone on her opponent’s level when it comes to strength in grappling.
While a KO/TKO appeals with Harrison’s ground and pound, we’ll take a chance on a second straight submission at bigger odds.
Delight for Dolidze
Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland should be a fan friendly match-up.
Kevin Holland is always in entertaining fights, as shown by his first-round submission of Michał Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302 in June.
That fight saw a return to Middleweight for the 31-year-old after a 4-4 run at Welterweight, which ended with back-to-back defeats against Jack Della Maddalena and Michael Page.
Holland undoubtedly had his best wins at 185lbs, putting together three performance bonus wins during a five-fight winning streak in 2020.
However, the end of his Middleweight run saw him again lose successive fights against Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori, as well as a frustrating no contest with Kyle Daukaus.
Roman Dolidze beat a top-15 opponent at Light Heavyweight in Anthony Smith at short notice last time out in June and comes into this still ranked number 10 at Middleweight.
The Georgian is 7-3 at the weight with four KO/TKO’s but is on a two-fight skid at 185lbs after losing over the distance to top contenders Nassourdine Imavov and Marvin Vettori.
Dolidze is likely to have a strength and power advantage here and having never been stopped in his career is fancied to grind out a win over Holland.
GET £20 IN FREE BETS WITH TALKSPORT BET*
*odds correct at the time of writing and subject to change
18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 3x £10 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chase their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
