Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira faced No. 8 ranked Khalil Rountree Jr. on Saturday and secured a win via round 4 TKO. As well as extending his title defense streak to three successful defenses, Pereira also made history tonight by setting a new UFC record.
In the main event, Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira defended his title against No. 8 ranked Khalil Rountree Jr. in a competitive striking battle that exceeded the expectations that many fans held going into the fight. Rountree Jr. entered the fight as a significant underdog, and many fans and analysts had written off his chances to have a competitive bout against the champion. However, Rountree Jr. showcased a dynamic striking display against Pereira, keeping the champion on his toes and proving to be his hardest challenge to date at 205 lbs. The two engaged in an intense, back-and-forth kickboxing bout that remained evenly matched over the first three rounds. Rountree's power and aggressive style kept the champion at bay, and he was able to hold his own in many of the exchanges.
By the fourth round Rountree Jr. began to show signs of fatigue. Sensing this, Pereira ramped up his offense, unleashing a series of punishing combinations that broke through Rountree Jr.'s defenses, dismantling the challenger and culminating in a TKO victory for the champion. With this successful defense Pereira sets a new UFC record of the shortest amount of time between three successful title defenses. This year, Pereira has headlined and successfully defended his title at UFC 300 in April, UFC 303 in June, and UFC 307 in October.
Tonight’s win was yet another impressive performance by the champion, who once again proved why he is considered one of the most dangerous fighters across all of the UFC roster.
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In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington defended her women's bantamweight title against Juliana Peña in a highly contested five-round battle. Pennington adopted a boxing-heavy strategy throughout the fight, determined to keep it standing and avoid the grappling exchanges where Peña is known to thrive. Despite Pennington's effective striking in the first round, Peña managed to close the distance and secure key takedowns in the second and third rounds—controlling the pace and applying pressure with her wrestling.
The fight took a dramatic turn in the fourth round when Pennington wobbled Peña with a high kick, then later dropped her with a well-timed right-hook, shifting the momentum in her favor as she regained control of the fight. Going into the final round, the commentators expressed that they had the fight evenly scored, two rounds to two. In round 5, Pennington asserted dominance with a precise jab and skilled footwork, staying out of range of Peña’s takedown attempts and likely doing enough to secure the win. However, the bout ended with a controversial split decision victory for Peña, leading to significant criticism of the judges' scoring. Many fans and analysts expressed frustration, believing that Pennington’s performance in the later rounds had earned her the win.
When asked about the possibility of a fight with Kayla Harrison, No. 2 ranked fighter and two-time olympic gold medalist, Peña dismissed her as potential next opponent. Peña instead called for the now retired, former two division champion Amanda Nunes.
“What I’d really like is for Amanda Nunes to quit ducking and come back inside this octagon,” Peña said. “We’re 1-1, that would be the greatest fight in Mixed Martial Arts history in the Bantamweight division.”
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Later this month, on Oct. 26, the UFC will return to Abu Dhabi for UFC308, headlined by a Featherweight title fight between champion Ilia Topuria and former champion Max Holloway.