UFC 307 In Utah: A Deep Dive Into Each Fight And Fighter

SALT LAKE CITY – With the UFC announcing its return to Utah for UFC 307, let’s take a look at each fighter and all of the fights on the stacked card.

From familiar faces to up-and-comers and debatably the best in the world, UFC 307 may have the best lineup that Salt Lake City has ever seen.

Utah, we’re back for #UFC307 in a BIG way 🏆@AlexPereiraUFC vs @KhalilRountree@RockyPMMA vs @VenezuelanVixen@StateOfSport | #StateOfSport | @DeltaCenter | #DeltaCenter pic.twitter.com/HjFbqbxtTx

— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2024

All UFC 307 Fights

More early prelim fights will be added to the card as October 5 approaches.

Stephen Thompson vs. Joaquin Buckley – Welterweight

Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Joaquin “New Mansa” Buckley will kick off UFC 307 in what should be a very entertaining fight.

Thompson’s last fight was in December 2023 where he lost via submission to Shavkat Rakhmonov. Buckley has fought twice since then, topping Nursulton Ruziboev in May and knocking out Vicente Luque in March.

Thompson was supposed to fight in Salt Lake City last July at UFC 291 but his opponent, Michel Pereira, weighed in over the limit and the fight was cancelled.

Thompson and Buckley are both known as strikers. Thompson has a karate background and is more calculated with his movements. Buckley uses his explosiveness to his advantage and is always a threat to end his fights with one punch.

13 of Buckley’s 19 career wins came via knockout. Thompson is also a threat with eight of his wins coming by knockout. However, if the fight makes it into the later rounds, that’s when Wonderboy can really pull away. He has six career wins via unanimous decision.

Excited to get this one announced 🔥 So much love to everyone for your support 🫶🏼Time to get locked in 🤜🏼🫷🏼 #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/CWIGmR0aaD

— Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) August 16, 2024

Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland – Middleweight

Roman Dolidze and Kevin “Trailblazer” Holland are both 1-2 in their last three fights and will look to make it two wins in a row in Delta Center.

Dolidze beat Anthony Smith at UFC 303 via unanimous decision. Holland defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk via submission, increasing his career submission win total to nine.

This fight is one for the MMA junkies. Both fighters are versatile and can do damage in striking exchanges and on the ground. Both fighters also have a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Dolidze is more of a by-the-book fighter while Holland is more creative and unconventional. Holland is also known for talking to anyone who will listen during his fights. Whether it be his opponent, the commentators, or the fans, Holland will do anything he can to give himself a mental upside in the octagon.

Holland fought at UFC 291 in SLC and defeated Michael Chiesa in the first round via submission.

KEVIN HOLLAND BY SUBMISSION 😨@Trailblaze2top submits Chiesa in Round 1! #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/5x3pJL3uOT

— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023

Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison – Women’s Bantamweight

Ketlen “Fenomeno” Vieira and Kayla Harrison will face off in one of two main card women’s fights at UFC 307.

Harrison made her UFC debut in April and immediately made a name for herself, submitting Holly Holm in the second round. Vieira’s last few fights have been slug-outs but she has come out on top more often than not. She is 3-1 in her last four fights with all coming down to decisions.

Once again, this fight was picked well as both fighters have similar styles and judo backgrounds. Vieria and Harrison can both do a lot of work on the ground. Vieria has a slight striking advantage but Harrison has the edge in terms of overall strength and athletic ability.

Vieria boasts a career record of 14-3. Harrison has just one loss and 17 wins.

Kayla Harrison faces Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 in October

📰 https://t.co/eCtVhAR32f pic.twitter.com/oHupDVa11g

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) August 1, 2024

Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling – Featherweight

Movsar Evloev and Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling will fight at Delta Center with an undefeated record on the line.

Evloev’s record currently stands at 18-0. However, his 19th fight is no pushover. Sterling’s career record is 24-4 and he comes off 10 wins in his last 11 fights. His only loss came to Sean O’Malley in the main event fight from UFC 292.

In most of his fights, Sterling has the grappling advantage. That will not be the case on October 5. Evloev has one of the best ground games in the UFC, regardless of weight class. His striking and fight IQ are both good, but much of the credit for his undefeated record belongs to his dominance on the ground.

Where Sterling has the advantage is on his feet. He is creative when upright, known for switching his stance and having a deep bag of strikes that keeps his opponents guessing.

This fight will likely go one of two ways. An early submission that will leave fans wanting more or a bloodbath that could overshadow some of the following matchups.

Warm up #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/LuQniHlEMY

— Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) August 15, 2024

José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista – Bantamweight

José Aldo and Mario Bautista will face off at UFC 307 in what should be one of the more technical fights on the card.

Aldo is one of the greatest featherweights of all time with a record of 32-8. Bautista is six years younger and isn’t nearly as active as Aldo has been throughout his career but he still has an impressive record of 14-2.

However, since moving to bantamweight at UFC 245, Aldo hasn’t found nearly as much success. He is just 4-3 in the lighter division.

It should still be a great fight regardless. Both fighters are equally impressive on and off the ground as well as in offensive and defensive situations.

At 37 years old, Aldo has been hinting at retirement for a few years now. There is no official announcement as of right now, but Salt Lake City will get to witness one of if not the last UFC fight for one of the greatest of all time.

Pereira vs Rountree! #UFC307 from the @deltacenter, Utah on October 5th!@StateofSport pic.twitter.com/EJJcjJgUMf

— danawhite (@danawhite) August 16, 2024

Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña – Women’s Bantamweight Title Bout

Raquel “Rocky” Pennington will be defending her belt in Delta Center against Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña this October.

Pennington has been on an all-time run this decade, winning six straight fights on her way to the top of the bantamweight division. Peña hasn’t fought since July 2022 but prior to her break from the sport, she beat Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 and sat atop the division for over six months.

If UFC fans were looking for a bloody matchup, this is the fight to watch. Both Pennington and Peña are seen as durable fighters who aim to outlast you in the octagon.

Pennington relies on a fundamentally sound striking game to slowly wear her opponents down. Meanwhile, with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background, Peña has done a great job of tiring her opponents in the past.

The biggest question in this fight is how Peña will look after over two years passing since her last UFC appearance.

Raquel Pennington will face Julianna Peña for the women’s bantamweight title at #UFC307 in Salt Lake City, Dana White announced. pic.twitter.com/ljAAWJITgx

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 16, 2024

Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. – Light Heavyweight Title Bout

Finally, the main event.

Many people are calling Alex “Poatan” Pereira the best fighter in the world right now. Although a bit controversial, the No. 8 ranked light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. was given a shot at the belt after coming off five straight wins.

Don’t let his ranking fool you though. Rountree is one of the most aggressive and powerful fighters in the world. Of his last five wins, four came via knockout.

However, he will have a tall mountain to climb at UFC 307. Both literally and figuratively.

Pereira has a three-inch height advantage, a 2.5-inch reach advantage, and is already known for using his stature to his advantage. With a decorated kickboxing background, he is a master at dealing damage from a safe distance.

Although Pereira is definitely a smarter and more calculated fighter, his aggression and relentless approach have led him to three straight knockout wins.

All of Poatan’s fights are highly entertaining. But, this one specifically should be a war.

Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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