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Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, more fights announced for UFC 307 fight card | News, results, highlights, stats and rumors

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 29: Alex Pereira of Brazil celebrates after defeating Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic, not pictured, by technical knockout during a light heavyweight championship fight at UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

Ian Maule/Getty Images

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will defend his title against Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event of UFC 307 on October 5.

Dana White announced the fight between Pereira and Rountree on Friday.

White also confirmed three more fights on the show, including a women's bantamweight title fight between Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peña as the co-main event.

Damon Martin @damonmartin

Headlines for Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. #UFC307 in Utah, according to Dana White
Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Pena also officially as co-main event
Kevin Holland vs. Roman Dolidze (without Chris Curtis)
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson vs. Joaquin Buckley also on the card

The announcement that Rountree will compete in the main event at least suggests that the UFC does not expect him to face any serious punishment following his positive test 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 the UFC due to “use of a banned substance.”

Combat Sports Anti-Doping – the UFC's internal anti-doping program – announced on May 22 that Rountree had accepted a two-month suspension retroactive to May 4, the date his sample was taken.

According to Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, Rountree still faces disciplinary action from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and that action could be taken at the group's next meeting on August 29.

Martin noted that the UFC “must already know that the penalty will not affect his status in October” in order to schedule him for a title fight.

Pereira will make his third title defense of 2024 on the show. He previously defeated Hill at UFC 300 and Jiří Procházka at UFC 303. The Brazilian star could be the first to successfully defend the 205-pound title three times since Jon Jones during his second reign from 2018 to 2020.

In the co-main event, Pennington will defend her title for the first time after winning the bantamweight title at UFC 297 on January 20.

Peña returns to the Octagon for the first time since losing the bantamweight title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 on July 30, 2022. A three-way fight between the two was scheduled for UFC 289, but Peña sustained injuries during training that forced her to withdraw from the fight.

Nunes' retirement after defeating Peña's successor on that show, Irene Aldana, ended any chance of a third fight between the rivals after they split the first two encounters.

UFC 307 takes place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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