Tag: ufc 307

UFC Legend Cites Potential Alex Pereira Weakness That Khalil Rountree Could Exploit: ‘Did Not Work For Him When He Fought Izzy…’

Alex Pereira has become a superstar during his time in the UFC, where his elite kickboxing background has been put to devastating use. “Poatan” is one of the best strikers we have ever seen inside the Octagon and he’s delivered some incredible highlights in his run so far. In the third defense of his light […]

Continue Reading UFC Legend Cites Potential Alex Pereira Weakness That Khalil Rountree Could Exploit: ‘Did Not Work For Him When He Fought Izzy…’ at MMA News.

Alex Pereira has become a superstar during his time in the UFC, where his elite kickboxing background has been put to devastating use.

“Poatan” is one of the best strikers we have ever seen inside the Octagon and he’s delivered some incredible highlights in his run so far.

In the third defense of his light heavyweight title at UFC 307 this weekend, he will face another powerful striker in Khalil Rountree.

Many find it hard to imagine how Rountree will win a stand-up battle against the champion but there is one chink in Pereira’s armour that could cost him.

Stephen Thompson Says Alex Pereira’s Aggression Could Be A Problem For Him At UFC 307

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Stephen Thompson spoke about Pereira’s unique approach to striking in MMA.

“Wonderboy” will also be in action on Saturday night in Salt Lake City where you’re sure to see his wide range of kickboxing weapons on display against Joaquin Buckley.

Rather than the evasive and dynamic style of Thompson, Pereira’s kickboxing approach is far more aggressive and on the front-foot.

He doesn’t move around all that much and will usually stand right in front of his opponents.

The champion is so powerful and confident in his ability to land his own shots that he doesn’t tend to move out of the way of his opponents’, when they launch something back his way.

As it did in his MMA rematch with Israel Adesanya, Thompson questioned whether this could be dangerous for him against an opponent like Rountree.

“It [the aggression] did not work for him when he fought Izzy, you know. That’s kind of the same thing that he got caught in was in that brawl and he was taking shots but he wasn’t evading any, he was still in the face trying to throw and he got clipped and he went down. I mean he relies a lot on his toughness, he’s a very durable fighter for a guy to be fighting so much but yeah man, that’s dangerous. If you get there with another striker, especially Khalil Rountree, Khalil Rountree is a powerful guy.”

Read also: Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Gives His Verdict On Dricus Du Plessis’ Striking: ‘No Real Good Technique…’

Continue Reading UFC Legend Cites Potential Alex Pereira Weakness That Khalil Rountree Could Exploit: ‘Did Not Work For Him When He Fought Izzy…’ at MMA News.

Alex Pereira Makes Charity Bet With Khalil Rountree Over UFC 307 No Takedown Promise

Khalil Rountree has made it clear that he intends to stand and strike with Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 307. The light heavyweight title challenger has won four of his last five fights via knockout, and is certainly capable of striking with anyone in the division. However, “Poatan” is a whole different […]

Continue Reading Alex Pereira Makes Charity Bet With Khalil Rountree Over UFC 307 No Takedown Promise at MMA News.

Khalil Rountree has made it clear that he intends to stand and strike with Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 307.

The light heavyweight title challenger has won four of his last five fights via knockout, and is certainly capable of striking with anyone in the division.

However, “Poatan” is a whole different beast when it comes to the stand-up game thanks to his incredible career in kickboxing before he made the switch to MMA.

Rountree’s coach John Wood also stated that they intend to strike in Salt Lake City because that’s where they will get the best out of his student’s skill set, rather than trying to change his approach because of the opponent that’s in front of them.

Pereira Says He Won’t Be Convinced Unless Rountree Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

Despite this clear statement from his opponent, Pereira isn’t convinced that Rountree will stick by his word once they meet inside the Octagon.

The champion is so effective on the feet that even when he faces fellow strikers, they often divert to using grappling as a plan B.

Pereira commented on this during a recent interview with Kevin Iole before fight week.

Through his coach, Plinio Cruz, “Poatan” suggested a wager that would give him confidence in Rountree’s pre-fight assertion that he will keep the fight on the feet.

“Honestly bro, everybody that said that [they will keep the fight standing] before ended up shooting a takedown on this guy so it’s hard to believe. Alex said that the only way that he’ll believe [is] if Khalil go out in public and say, ‘I promise, I promise that I’m not going to shoot a takedown on this guy and if I do, I’m going to donate a percentage of my purse for charity.’ Then Alex will believe him and say let’s bang.”

Read also: Alex Pereira Rejects Blame For Magomed Ankalaev’s Title Wait: ‘Such A Boring Style Of Fighting…’

Continue Reading Alex Pereira Makes Charity Bet With Khalil Rountree Over UFC 307 No Takedown Promise at MMA News.

Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Provides His Prediction For Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree At UFC 307

Stephen Thompson recently shared his forecast for the UFC 307 main event clash between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree. “Poatan” is set to defend his UFC light heavyweight title for the third time, this time against Khalil Rountree in the headlining bout of the upcoming pay-per-view on October 5, taking place at the Delta Center […]

Continue Reading Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Provides His Prediction For Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree At UFC 307 at MMA News.

Stephen Thompson recently shared his forecast for the UFC 307 main event clash between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree.

“Poatan” is set to defend his UFC light heavyweight title for the third time, this time against Khalil Rountree in the headlining bout of the upcoming pay-per-view on October 5, taking place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Pereira enters this fight riding high off back-to-back successful title defenses against former champions earlier this year. His most recent victory came in June at UFC 303, where he delivered a stunning second-round knockout of Jiri Prochazka in their short-notice rematch.

Since joining the UFC in November 2021, the Brazilian’s trajectory has been steadily skyward. After conquering the middleweight division, he made the leap to light heavyweight, and with just one victory at 205 pounds to earn a title shot, he seized gold with a TKO win over Prochazka at UFC 295 last November.

Meanwhile, “The War Horse” is making his return after serving a 4.5-month suspension for testing positive for a steroid hormone, with the sanction lifted on September 18. He is currently riding a five-fight win streak, with his latest victory being a third-round knockout of Anthony Smith last December.

Despite being a UFC veteran since 2016, Rountree has often been viewed as someone who hasn’t quite realized his full potential. However, UFC 307 will finally give him his long-awaited first shot at the gold.

Thompson Believes Pereira vs. Rountree Will Come Down To Who Outstrikes The Other

During a recent interview with Bodgog Canada, Thompson shared his thoughts on the upcoming Pereira vs. Rountree title fight at UFC 307. While “Wonderboy” clearly favored the the reigning champion, he didn’t shy away from commending Rountree’s top-tier striking ability. He predicted that with both being more comfortable on the feet, the fight will likely be stand-up heavy and determine who the better striker is.

“I’m leaning towards Pereira as well, but I think it’s a great fight because both guys are very dangerous fighters,” Thompson said. “Khalil Rountree has got some of the best striking as well; it comes from that Muay Thai background, so basically this is going to be a Muay Thai fight. This is going to be a standup battle, toe-to-toe, to see who’s going to be the better striker.”

The former UFC welterweight title challenger further explained his clear inclination toward “Poatan,” citing Pereira’s impressive track record. Thompson highlighted Pereira’s devastating one-punch knockout power, coupled with his significant reach advantage, as key factors that make him a formidable force against Rountree.

“Obviously, I’ve got to lean towards my man Alex Pereira just because of his credentials and what he’s done in the 185 and 205 [pound] divisions in the UFC. I mean, he’s got a left hook with one-hitter-quitter power. Now, Rountree is big and strong, but can he close the gap? Alex Pereira’s got the longer reach, he’s very calm, and he’s very precise—he’s like a sniper out there when it comes to his strikes. It’s a very hard fight, but I think it’s going to be exciting.”

“Wonderboy” is also set to compete at UFC 307 in a welterweight bout against Joaquin Buckley, marking his return to the Octagon after a 10-month break.

Continue Reading Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Provides His Prediction For Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree At UFC 307 at MMA News.

Joaquin Buckley Feels Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Is Two-Faced : ‘When You Got Him On Camera…’

Eleventh ranked welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley is usually not too far away from getting into a beef with a fellow fighter. However, this looked to be a difficult task for his next fight, considering the ‘nice guy’ public perception of Stephen Thompson. “Wonderboy” is widely regarded to be one of the kindest fighters on the […]

Continue Reading Joaquin Buckley Feels Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Is Two-Faced : ‘When You Got Him On Camera…’ at MMA News.

Eleventh ranked welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley is usually not too far away from getting into a beef with a fellow fighter.

However, this looked to be a difficult task for his next fight, considering the ‘nice guy’ public perception of Stephen Thompson.

“Wonderboy” is widely regarded to be one of the kindest fighters on the roster and has rarely been seen to lose his cool, even in the midst of a fist-fight.

Buckley isn’t convinced by this representation of Thompson, though, and believes that the welterweight stalwart isn’t who people think he is.

With the two men set to meet inside the Octagon on October 5, he voiced his opinions on his opponent’s supposed persona.

Joaquin Buckley Says Stephen Thompson Isn’t Who Fans Think He Is

Ahead of their meeting at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Buckley spoke about his previous interactions with Thompson.

The two men crossed paths at International Fight Week early this year, where “New Mansa” believes that he saw a different side to the striking specialist.

In an interview with Inside Fighting, he spoke about how in his opinion, Thompson is a different person when he knows that people are watching.

“Nothing crazy, yet again, I’m just trying to push him to make the fight happen but I really feel like, you know, at the end of the day, with me and ‘Wonderboy’, it is what it is. I try to be myself no matter where I go but I feel like, for me, it’s just that ‘Wonderboy’ is the type of individual that yet again, when you got him on camera, he’s smiling in your face, he’s saying nice things but at the end of the day, it’s the fight biz’ so you know, however he made me feel that day, I don’t think it was the nice guy that everybody mentions.”

Read also: Fellow UFC Welterweight Claims Shavkat Rakhmonov Will Be ‘Exposed’ By Belal Muhammad

Continue Reading Joaquin Buckley Feels Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Is Two-Faced : ‘When You Got Him On Camera…’ at MMA News.

Aljamain Sterling Excited At Prospect Of Facing Diego Lopes In Title Eliminator After UFC 307

It’s a huge few weeks for the UFC’s featherweight division leading up to UFC 308, where the champion will be making his first title defense. Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is one of the most anticipated fights of the year, but in the meantime, there’s still plenty of movement to happen at the top of […]

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Excited At Prospect Of Facing Diego Lopes In Title Eliminator After UFC 307 at MMA News.

It’s a huge few weeks for the UFC’s featherweight division leading up to UFC 308, where the champion will be making his first title defense.

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is one of the most anticipated fights of the year, but in the meantime, there’s still plenty of movement to happen at the top of the division.

Diego Lopes earned his spot in the top five this past weekend at UFC 306 (Noche UFC), where he defeated former two-time title challenger Brian Ortega.

However, despite his incredible rise after losing his UFC debut, Lopes could need one more win in order to earn a title shot, and his next opponent could be decided at UFC 307…

Aljamain Sterling Talks About The Potential Of Facing Diego Lopes In A Title Eliminator

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is looking to earn back-to-back wins at 145 pounds when he clashes with the undefeated Movsar Evloev on October 5 in Salt Lake City.

Whoever wins that fight will be in a great position to fight someone right near the top of the rankings which, as Sterling pointed out, could end up being Lopes.

In an interview with Submission Radio, “Funk Master” laid out his idea of how things will play out.

“I can see, because (Alexander) Volkanovski’s guaranteed his next title shot no matter who wins between Ilia and Holloway, that Lopes is probably gonna have to fight again. So, I would imagine that between the the winner of myself and Movsar, I think that’ll probably end up being the next title challenger.”

Sterling also said that off the back of Lopes’ win over Ortega, this is a fight that gets him excited because he sees the Brazilian as a tough test.

Getting past the undefeated Russian is a big hurdle in the first place, but a fight with Lopes would have huge title implications for the winner.

“It definitely is an exciting time for the featherweight division and for myself because that’s not an easy fight and that excites me. That’s the most exciting part about it.”

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Excited At Prospect Of Facing Diego Lopes In Title Eliminator After UFC 307 at MMA News.

Kayla Harrison On UFC Bantamweight Title Shot Snub: ‘Dana Is A Man Of His Word…’

Former PFL star Kayla Harrison is set to return at UFC 307 where she faces Ketlen Vieira in a huge fight for the bantamweight division. With Vieira being ranked at #2 and Harrison at #3, the next title contender will surely be whichever woman gets her …

Former PFL star Kayla Harrison is set to return at UFC 307 where she faces Ketlen Vieira in a huge fight for the bantamweight division. With Vieira being ranked at #2 and Harrison at #3, the next title contender will surely be whichever woman gets her hand raised in Salt Lake City. However, some fans, […]

Continue Reading Kayla Harrison On UFC Bantamweight Title Shot Snub: ‘Dana Is A Man Of His Word…’ at MMA News.