Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. battled for the light heavyweight title Saturday in Salt Lake City. The Brazilian superstar knocked out Rountree Jr. in the fourth round, notching his third title defense of the calendar year.
In the co-main event, Julianna Pena regained the bantamweight throne with a controversial split decision win over Raquel Pennington.
After a thrilling night of fights, here’s who should be next for the stars of UFC 307:
Alex Pereira
“Poatan” has become the UFC’s biggest star. He has only been in the organization for three years but has scored victories over five former champions and captured titles in two weight classes.
His fight against Rountree Jr. was a war, though, and Pereira expressed his desire to take a “short break.” He dealt with various injuries and illnesses throughout this training camp but still managed to put on a Fight of the Night performance and fend off a valiant effort from Rountree Jr.
Pereira has gone back-and-forth with middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis on social media, but he stated in his post-fight interview that he prefers to stay at light heavyweight and let training partner Sean Strickland get another crack at the middleweight belt. There have also been rumors of Pereira moving to heavyweight, but that won’t be happening, at least not in the near future.
Magomed Ankalaev is the logical next opponent for Pereira, but the Russian is currently slated to fight Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308. If Rakic can pull the upset, he may get a shot at the belt.
Matchup: Pereira vs. Ankalaev/Rakic
Khalil Rountree Jr.
A massive underdog coming into his fight against Pereira, Rountree Jr. won the hearts of many fans with his gutsy performance. He won the first two rounds on the scorecards and nearly found an early finish but was unable to withstand Pereira’s pressure in the fourth round.
If anything, this fight helps Rountree Jr.’s stock. He proved that he belongs at the top of the 205-pound ranks, and he should be rewarded with an opportunity to face a higher-ranked contender in his next bout.
Rountree Jr. was scheduled to face former champion Jamahal Hill at UFC 303, but the fight fell through after Rountree Jr. was suspended for using a banned substance. The UFC should reschedule this fight.
Matchup: Rountree Jr. vs. Hill
Julianna Pena
It seems like the whole world knows what’s next for Pena. Kayla Harrison is on a fast-track to the title after her win over Ketlen Vieira on Saturday. Her title shot is inevitable, but Pena elected to call out Amanda Nunes (who is retired) for a trilogy bout.
Pena, who is now a two-time champion, was fortunate to steal a decision from Pennington. The consensus among the media was that Pennington had done enough to retain the belt, and UFC President Dana White agreed.
In my opinion, there’s more of an argument for a rematch with Pennington than there is for a third fight with Nunes. We all know who is really next in line, though.
Matchup: Pena vs. Harrison
Raquel Pennington
In the eyes of most viewers, Pennington should still be holding the bantamweight belt. She landed the cleaner strikes and even scored a knockdown against Pena.
The 36-year-old veteran has fought a long list of contenders throughout her UFC tenure, but one name she hasn’t faced yet is Norma Dumont. Fifth-ranked Dumont defeated Irene Aldama at UFC 306 and has earned a crack at a higher-ranked foe.
Matchup: Pennington vs. Dumont
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