**UFC 307 Preview: Pereira and Pennington Look to Defend Titles**
This Saturday, the Delta Center in Salt Lake City will host UFC 307, featuring a stacked card with two title fights. In the main event, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will put his title on the line against Khalil Rountree Jr., while women’s bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington will face off against former champ Julianna Peña in the co-main event.
**Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.**
Pereira, ranked No. 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings, is riding a three-fight knockout streak and looks to continue his dominance against Rountree Jr., who enters the fight on a five-fight winning streak. According to retired UFC welterweight and analyst Alan Jouban, Pereira’s key to victory lies in being patient and letting the fight settle down before unleashing his boxing combinations. Rountree Jr., on the other hand, needs to come out aggressive and use his explosive power to get the job done early.
**Pennington vs. Peña**
In the co-main event, Pennington will look to make her first title defense against Peña, who hasn’t competed since losing the title in July 2022. Women’s bantamweight fighter Miesha Tate believes Pennington’s smart and calculated approach, including adding takedowns to her game plan, will be key to her victory. Peña, meanwhile, needs to use pressure and control the cage to close the distance and connect with her opponent.
**Betting Analysis**
ESPN betting expert Ian Parker likes Pereira to win by KO/TKO (-375) and recommends taking him in a parlay. For the co-main event, Parker favors Pennington to win (-170), citing Peña’s lack of technical striking and long layoff as major factors. Parker also provides insight on other intriguing bets on the card, including Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson vs. Joaquin Buckley and Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington.
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