UFC 307: Pereira Defends the Belt in Spectacular Fashion
UFC 307 was full of storylines. How will Alex Pereira look in his third fight of the year? Can Julianna Peña shock the world in her first fight back since 2022? Does José Aldo have another title run left in him? All these questions were answered in the exciting UFC 307 card.
The first fight on the main card was Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira. Harrison came in as a huge favorite, and for good reason. Her wrestling and strength are a lot to handle in the Bantamweight division. Harrison dominated in the first round after she slammed Vieira and landed blow after blow on the ground. Vieira looked uncomfortable/scared in the second round because of Harrison’s ability to shoot takedowns in the blink of an eye. Vieira started to land blows at the two-minute mark in the second round. One of her blows ended up cutting Harrison right above her eye. Harrison’s corner was heard saying, “It could be 1-1,” but I believe it was 2-0 Harrison heading into the third and final round. In the final round, Harrison secured a takedown earlier and didn’t let Vieira back to her feet. Harrison dominated the ground control time and won by unanimous decision.
The second fight on the main card was Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland. This fight was set up to be an exciting one because of both fighters' styles. Dolidze has a 4:1 knockout ratio, and Holland is one of the most exciting strikers in the UFC. The beginning of round one wasn’t pleasant. Both fighters were feinting and getting a good feel for each other's reach. It started to pick up after the first two minutes when they each threw multiple punches and kicks. Dolidze shot a takedown at the 2:45 mark and did it with ease. Holland's biggest knock as a fighter is his inability to defend against takedowns. Dolidze started to dominate the round after he got in full mount and teed off on Holland. Dolidze landed multiple elbows and punches, giving him the first round. Dolidze ended up winning the fight by TKO because Holland couldn’t continue. Holland's rib came out, and his coach called the fight.
The third fight on the main card was José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista. Aldo came in as a slight underdog, given his age, but everyone knows betting against Aldo is a risk. Bautista came out as the aggressor, immediately backing Aldo into a corner. Aldo looked comfortable with the quick pace of Bautista and landed solid leg kicks. The first round was hard to judge, but I believe it was scored 1-0 for Bautista because of his constant pressure. Aldo applied more pressure in the second round. He landed a shot that cut open Bautista and got the crowd riled up. Bautista tried to slow down Aldo's momentum by grappling against the fence, but Aldo escaped his grasp and landed a combo that ended with a hard-flying knee. Heading into the third and final round, it was 1-1. The first two minutes of the third round was a back-and-forth exchange of blows. With 3:00 minute left in the round, Bautista started to grapple in hopes of securing a takedown that would likely give him the round. Aldos’ takedown defense was a perfect 10-10 in the round. The flight was close, but heading into the decision, I had it as Aldo winning by split decision. Unfortunately, Aldo lost the fight by split decision. Questionable scorecard.
The next fight was the co-main, Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña. These two started as friends on the Contender series but are now rivals. The beginning of the fight was slower than expected. Nobody threw any long combos or attempted a takedown. The first round was hard to score because there wasn’t much action. No takedowns, not many big shots, just a lot of jabs. The first round was, more likely than not, scored 10-9 in Pennington's favor. The second round was a repeat of the first round. The crowd was starting to boo until Peña successfully landed a takedown attempt. Peña dominated in the second round. When Pennington tried to get up, Peña took her back and attempted a rear naked choke. It wasn’t tight enough, but the control time and timely shots won her the round. Heading into round three, I had it 1-1. Round three was when both fighters picked it up offensively. They both boxed for the majority of the round, limiting the takedown attempts and kicks. With two minutes left in the third round, Peña secured a takedown. This takedown was enough to give her the round and a 2-1 lead. While on the ground, Peña got Pennington in a tight choke, but somehow Pennington escaped. Pennington came out aggressive in the third. She knew she was down 2-1, and everyone understands that going into a final round down 3-1 isn’t ideal. Pennington landed a hard leg kick to Peñas’ head, but Peña kept her balance and kept her poise. With less than two minutes left in the fourth round, Pennington knocked Peña down with a hook. She followed up that knockdown with a guillotine attempt but was unsuccessful. That knockdown gave Pennington the round, evening things at 2-2 heading into the final round. Both fighters came out aggressive in the final round. They knew that the winner of this round would most likely win the fight. Peña looked tired in the final round, and Pennington took advantage of that. At the end of the fight, you could say both fighters had a case they won. In the end, the winner was Peña by split decision.
The Main Event was a Light Heavyweight Title fight between Alex Pereira and Khalil Routree Jr. Pereira came into this fight as a big favorite because, honestly speaking, not many people believed Routree Jr. deserved a title shot. His odds to win were +360, making it one of the most lopsided title fights according to betting odds of all time. Pereira came out more aggressive than usual. Routree Jr. matched the energy by throwing multiple strikes in the first minute. Routree Jr. was the more impressive and dominant fighter in the first round. He landed some hard shots that didn’t knock Pereira down but definitely hurt him. 1-0 Routree Jr. heading into the second round. The second round was even more impressive for Routree Jr. He stunned Pereira after Pereira missed a head kick. At the end of the round, he also landed a big hook on Pereira. Routree Jr. had a 2-0 lead, but it was clear his gas tank was emptying. The third round was a clear win for Pereira. He started to get used to Routree Jr.'s pace and started to counter him effectively. 2-1 Routree Jr. heading into the fourth round. In the fourth round, it was the Pereira show. Pereira started landing blow after blow, and Routree Jr. just couldn’t keep up. He looked extremely tired and had a cut on his eye that started to bleed badly. Pereira won the fight by TKO.
