Next Title Defense for Alex Pereira Announced

Pereira will be defending the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for a third time this year

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira celebrates after defeating Jamahal Hill (not pictured) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Pereira is not headed to the heavyweight division.

Instead, he is headed back to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he made his light heavyweight debut only a year ago.

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

— danawhite (@danawhite) August 16, 2024

After winning his first fight in the division against Jan Blachowicz, a furious stretch began where Pereira won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship that November, then defended it twice already this year. Per an announcement from UFC CEO Dana White, Pereira (11-2) will make his third title defense this year against Khalil Rountree Jr., seeking to further cement his legend in the sport.

Rountree (13-5, 1 NC) has won his last five fights. He will undoubtedly enter this bout as an underdog, but it is an interesting match-up. His most recent fight took place in December when he defeated Anthony Smith by TKO. Rountree was scheduled to face former light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill in June at UFC 303, but he was forced to withdraw for taking a banned substance, and served a suspension that run through July 4.

Can’t believe what I just saw announced!!! So a guy pulls out of a contender fight because of failed drug test for a banned substances and gets rewarded with a title shot?!! This is terrible for the sport and makes the rankings completely pointless!!!

— Jamahal Hill (@JamahalH) August 16, 2024

In addition to Pereira-Rountree, which will headline UFC 307 on October 5, the co-main is Raquel Pennington defending the UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion against Julianna Peña.
The loaded card also includes Kayla Harrison-Ketlen Vieira in what is likely to effectively be a title eliminator, Aljamain Sterling-Movsar Evloev at featherweight, José Aldo-Mario Bautista at bantamweight, Roman Dolidze-Kevin Holland at middleweight, and 41-year-old Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson making his first fight of the year against Joaquin Buckley.