UFC 307 Preview: Does Khalil Rountree Jr. have a chance to beat Alex 'Poatan' Pereira?

Val Dewar

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UFC 307 Preview: Does Khalil Rountree Jr. have a chance to beat Alex 'Poatan' Pereira? image

© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Alex Pereira with his tribal facepaint and headdress at weigh-ins.

Alex 'Poatan' Pereira continues to make the most of his time in the limelight by fighting for the tenth time in less than three years since joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Salt Lake City will play host to UFC 307, headlined by the light-heavyweight champion and the latest opponent who will not try to take him down, Khalil Rountree.

Pereira has reached near-mythical status in the annals of mixed martial arts after chasing one rival, Israel Adesanya, from kickboxing to MMA, then backing it up stealing Izzy’s middleweight belt with a knockout that shocked the world. After earning a second belt by beating fan-favorite Jiri Prochazka his star only grew, as it did from his two anteceding 205-lb title defenses over Jamahal Hill and then Jiri again – all four title wins having come via his now-famous signature left hook.

However, Alex is far from invincible, having lost to Israel Adesanya in the UFC and to several great kickboxers during his career in that sport. His growth has made it harder and harder to beat him over the years as he developed from a boxer to a boxer with leg kicks, to a well-rounded kickboxer with one famous devastating tool, to a mixed martial artist with at least decent takedown defense/get-up game for 205-lbs, and a strong command of the octagon, a space much different than a kickboxing ring.

For his part, Khalil often strides forward, throwing in combination, but without the boxing to jab his way in – or the height to match Pereira’s absurd frame – it will not be easy to just walk forward and find Pereira. Poatan can manage space in an octagon better than anybody at 205-lbs, finding it less claustrophobic, I am sure, than a ring. When he wants to evade, he can be effective off the back foot, a somewhat new wrinkle for him. But when he is given – or takes – the front foot, he can unleash fury in combination as well as anybody, or work to remain just out of range and pick his foe apart.

When Khalil gives a skilled opponent time and space to operate, he is certainly not at his best, such as when former GLORY kickboxing journeyman Dustin Jacoby arguably beat him. In the first round especially, Khalil tried to counter the taller man in a point kickboxing match, staying at essentially middle or long range for all engagements. That did not work well for him.

Khalil may have more success with throwing to the body, as the Brazilian is known for his "tall-man" defense, i.e. leaning back at the waist to avoid punches. But Alex's quick footwork will aid him, as well as his devastating counterpunching & famous left hook Khalil, who does not protect his chin ardently at the best of times, must remain of the utmost vigilance when throwing shots in multiples. I suspect he will be over-aggressive and pay for it.

One of the most dangerous tools for Khalil will be to kick the body; teeps are good but is less his style than powerful round kicks. Especially at elevation, taking the wind out of Pereira's sails is paramount, and Rountree Jr. is not even close to as good a boxer as he is a kicker, fancying himself a Nak Muay Farang (link) after training in Thailand. That background will certainly make him more capable of defending the Brazilian’s unique style of leg kick than Poatan’s other championship opponents at this weight.

However, it may be a problem for Rountree that he does not throw at less than 100% of his power often; he sets up power with power, rather than mixing up speeds and changing his rhythm. Pereira's ability to land interrupting jabs and leg kicks often knocks more chaotic fighters out of their stance when they load up. If that frustrates them, makes them throw even wilder, get more aggressive, then all the better. Once he has their timing he will do so until finding the knockout.

Alex Pereira is not chaotic; his is an ordered, mechanical, dispassionate sort of violence. The man with the stone face has the hands of granite to match, and the knockout will come whenever it comes. The opponents have always been open for it at some point. Is there nobody in a sloppy light-heavyweight division who would not?

With Poatan remaining physically at the top of his game despite his age it is impossible to doubt him against Rountree, whose own run to the belt has been anything but flawless. Nor has Khalil ever shown the ability to do things the main things - other than leg kicking - that troubled Pereira in the past, things like pressuring him, wrestling him, or skilled boxing. Leg kicks alone simply would not be enough. If it was, then Izzy would have had no trouble.

Pereira should demolish Khalil; I expect it to last less than a full round. I'm no Sean Strickland; I don't think Khalil Rountree is a coward, but he has been stopped before by opponents much less scary than Pereira, and there is almost nothing he does better then Alex in the octagon, save for maybe his cardio and get-ups, the latter of which is irrelevant here.

I do hope Khalil can make a war out of it, stay alive and survive to the late rounds; that would be enormous fun and perhaps strain Pereira unlike his recents fight. I just doubt it.

The real test for Alex Pereira waits in Makhachkala, Russia, he has not lost since 2018, and his name is Magomed Ankalaev.

Val Dewar

Val Dewar Photo

Val was initiated into Steelers Nation from the moment he was born — his first memory is a game vs. New England from when "Slash" was QB — and doing sports writing has always been a dream career for him. In 2022 he broke into the industry by writing about combat sports for Cageside Press, and now has the opportunity to continue that work with TSN as an MMA writer, as well as get his feet wet on the Steelers beat.