Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, More Bouts Announced for UFC 307 Fight Card
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will defend his title Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event of UFC 307 on Oct. 5.
Dana White announced the Pereira-Rountree bout on Friday.
White also confirmed three other fights on the show, including a women's bantamweight title bout between Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peรฑa as the co-main event.
The announcement of Rountree in the main event at least suggests that UFC isn't expecting he will face any significant punishment after testing positive for a banned substance earlier this year.
Rountree was scheduled to challenge former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill at UFC 303, but he announced on May 18 that he had been removed from the card by UFC due to "consuming a banned substance."
Combat Sports Anti-DopingโUFC's in-house anti-doping programโannounced on May 22 that Rountree accepted a two-month suspension retroactive to May 4 when his sample was collected.
Per Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, Rountree remains subject to potential discipline by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and it could come at the group's next meeting on Aug. 29.
Martin did note UFC "must already know the penalty won't affect his status in October" to schedule him for a title fight.
Pereira will be making his third title defense of 2024 on the show. He previously defeated Hill at UFC 300 and Jiลรญ Prochรกzka at UFC 303. The Brazilian star could be the first person to successfully defend the 205-pound championship three times since Jon Jones during his second reign from 2018 to '20.
In the co-main event, Pennington will be making her first title defense after winning the bantamweight championship at UFC 297 on Jan. 20.
Peรฑa is returning to the octagon for the first time since losing the bantamweight title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 on July 30, 2022. They were scheduled to have a trilogy fight at UFC 289, but Peรฑa suffered injuries during training that forced her to withdraw from the bout.
Nunes' retirement after defeating Peรฑa's replacement on that show, Irene Aldana, ended any chance for a third bout between the rivals after they split the first two meetings.
UFC 307 will take place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
