Alex Pereira wins by TKO over Khalil Rountree Jr. to retain UFC title

SALT LAKE CITY — Alex Pereira retained the UFC mild heavyweight crown by beating Khalil Rountree Jr. by TKO with 28 seconds left within the fourth spherical at UFC 307 on Saturday night time.

It was the fourth straight title bout for Pereira (12-2) and his third consecutive profitable title protection.

Rountree (14-6) showcased his velocity early and delivered a number of laborious strikes.

At one level, within the second spherical, he ducked below a roundhouse kick and countered with a robust hook to the face.

However Pereira confirmed extra accuracy and consistency in touchdown blows throughout the early rounds.

Stamina favored Pereira within the fourth spherical.

He put Rountree on his heels and had him repeatedly masking his face to dam strikes.

Pereira ultimately backed him in opposition to the fence and rained blows on Rountree till he dropped to his knees and the referee stopped the combat.

Pereira’s victory headlined 5 primary card fights on Saturday night time.

Julianna Peña defeated Raquel Pennington by way of break up determination (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) to reclaim the ladies’s bantamweight crown in a bout billed because the co-main occasion.

Peña initially held the crown after defeating Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 in 2021 after which misplaced it to Nunes in a rematch at UFC 277 in 2022.

Peña (13-5) fought her first UFC bout in two years.

She was initially scheduled to problem Nunes for the title once more at UFC 289 however pulled out a month earlier than the combat after struggling damaged ribs throughout coaching.

The loss snapped a five-fight profitable streak for Pennington (16-10) extending again to 2020.

Peña dominated the early rounds.

She dragged Pennington to the canvas within the second and scored a repeat takedown after sweeping her leg within the third.

Each occasions, Pennington struggled to free herself from her grasp.

Pennington briefly shifted momentum with a fourth-round knockdown off a vicious proper hook.

She was the higher striker by way of 5 rounds, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to prevail.

Kayla Harrison defeated Ketlen Vieira by unanimous determination (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) within the different ladies’s bantamweight bout.

Harrison (18-1) made a giant assertion whereas outlasting Vieira (14-4), who entered the bout because the No. 2 ranked bantamweight fighter.

She bulldozed Vieira to the canvas within the first spherical and once more within the third and saved her shoulders pinned to the ground within the third spherical till the ultimate horn.

The win opens a door for Harrison, ranked No. 3 earlier than the bout, to problem Peña for the title.

She has made a gentle climb since changing into an MMA fighter after profitable a pair of Olympic gold medals in judo for Staff USA in 2012 and 2016.

Roman Dolidze (14-3) beat Kevin Holland by TKO within the middleweight bout, his sixth victory in eight bouts.

Holland (26-12) bowed out earlier than the beginning of the second spherical after struggling a rib harm and walked away with a loss for the third time in his final 4 bouts.

Mario Bautista (15-2) prevailed over Jose Aldo by break up determination (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) within the males’s bantamweight bout to earn his seventh straight victory.

Bautista pressured Aldo (32-9) with relentless assaults over three rounds.

However he additionally pinned the previous UFC featherweight champ in opposition to the cage for lengthy stretches and the break up determination favoring Bautista earned boos from the Delta Heart crowd.