UFC 307 Punching Parlay: Two Brazilian Savages to Boost Our Bankroll  

Pereira: The Story So Far

After nine UFC appearances, two years fighting for the company, championship status in two divisions, and his third light heavyweight title defense arriving at UFC 307 this weekend, there isn’t much else to describe Alex Pereira with other than… Legend!

Let’s not forget that ‘Poatan’ became the first ever two-division champion in MMA and kickboxing combined and that he accepted two title fights on short notice in 2024. Win or lose this weekend, we’ll remember the word ‘Charma’ forever, as the name Pereira is already etched into the mixed martial arts history books.

• Pereira Pro MMA Record: 11-2-0
• Pereira Knockout Wins: 9
• Pereira Submission Wins: 0

Rountree Jr.: The Story So Far

Heading into the Beehive State as Pereira’s next challenger is Khalil Rountree Jr. The Los Angeles, California native has come a long way since his UFC debut in 2016, which involved back-to-back losses and little expectations from onlookers. Eight years later, ‘The War Horse’ is riding a five-fight win streak, including a devastating knockout of former title challenger Anthony Smith last time, and should he triumph over the champ on Saturday, his stock will instantly be boosted to unpretending heights.

• Rountree Pro MMA Record: 13-5-0
• Rountree Knockout Wins: 9
• Rountree Submission Wins: 0

UFC 307 Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.: Skillset Breakdown

Pereira has been fighting heavy hitters for his entire combat sports career. However, regarding UFC opponents to date, Khalil Rountree Jr. could very well be the most formidable power puncher he’s ever had to face. As a result, completely discrediting the challenger would be foolish. Still, I’m almost certain Pereira himself would need to overlook his opponent to give him a genuine chance of success truly.

The fact of the matter is that ‘Poatan’ could be the most impressive knockout artist in UFC history, and that speaks volumes, especially when the likes of Francis Ngannou and Derek Lewis are also thrown into the mix. Fortunately for him, Rountree is also a striker, and between them, they possess 18 knockouts from 24 combined pro-MMA wins. So, what’s the difference, you ask? Why is Pereira heavily favored? It’s simply the style of striking they both present.

Rountree is more of a brawler, and he’ll look for swooping hooks, heavy shots in the clinch, and some unruly low kicks for good measure. He’s also savvy enough to land a soccer kick or two against grounded opponents, something we haven’t seen utilized since the days of PRIDE FC.

The most obvious difference is Pereira’s technical ability and lifelong background as a kickboxer. He’s significantly calmer and patient in his approach and arguably the greatest kickboxer ever to grace the octagon. When you blend these factors with a check left hook that’s as powerful as a moving car and a high kick, which we recently watched him use to take Jiri Prochazka’s head off, he’s a serious problem for fighters who aren’t equipped to grapple and remove his dangerous tools from the equation.

Pereira by KO/TKO Reasoning

Rountree has a puncher’s chance, and that can sometimes be enough in the sport of MMA. However, the smart choice here is to side with the technical kickboxer capable of ending a fight with one single punch or kick. The timing and precision of Pereira’s left hook is dangerous alone. Then, when you think about the other offensive striking tools he owns, it doesn’t look good for the challenger, who’s been knocked out on multiple occasions by much less talented foes and who’s evidently going to stand and bang this weekend.

The available UFC odds favor Pereira way into the -400 range, but it’s almost certain he’ll end his night with a knockout. He’s never gone the distance in a five-round fight, so we shouldn’t expect this trend to change now that he’s facing an opponent willing to give him the openings he requires for KO success.

Parlay Leg 1: Pereira by KO/TKO (-300) at BetOnline

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