UFC 307: Previewing the Biggest and Best Fights Set for Salt Lake City

UFC 307 is set for October 5 in Salt Lake City, and it looks like it could be an unforgettable night for the fans packed into the Delta Center and those tuned on screens around the world.

The card will be topped by two title fights.

In the main event, light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira—arguably the biggest star in MMA right now—will look for his third title defense opposite fellow knockout artist Khalil Rountree.

Before that, bantamweight champ Raquel Pennington will attempt her first title defense against long-absent former champ Julianna Peña.

As if a pair of title fights wasn't enough to drum up interest, the card also feature appearances from living MMA legend Jose Aldo, who will take on Mario Bautista at bantamweight, as well as stars like Kayla Harrison, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, and Kevin Holland.

There's a whole lot to be excited for, but here are the four fights we think are the best of the bunch.

Most people thought No. 1-ranked light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev would get the next shot at champion Alex Pereira. So, when it was announced Pereira would instead defend his belt against the No. 8-ranked Khalil Rountree, a lot of people were left scratching their heads.

It's fair that some people would have preferred to see Ankalaev get the shot—he deserves it based on his ranking alone. However, it's hard to be mad at a matchup like Pereira vs. Rountree.

The pair are easily the two best strikers at light heavyweight, and both rank among the scariest knockout threats in MMA—Rountree has actually never shot for a takedown in his career.

Most fans are probably leaning toward the former Glory kickboxing champ Pereira winning, but don't forget that Rountree has trained extensively amid the Muay Thai masters in Thailand and knocked out another kickboxing legend in Gokhan Saki several years back. If you're still not convinced he's a serious threat to the champ, watch his recent victory over Antony Smith.

He is just as capable of shutting Pereira's lights out as he is of getting knocked senseless himself. No matter what happens, the fans are in for a treat.

Former WEC and UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo is one of the greatest fighters of all time, and despite a handful of losses in the recent chapters of his career, is somehow still one of the best of the world at bantamweight.

At UFC 307, the former champ will look to defy father time again against the younger, fresher Mario Bautista.

In most fans' minds, it would be more appealing to see Aldo take on fighters of his generation, such as Dominick Cruz, but he clearly has no aversion to taking on the young guns...and he's fully capable of beating them. He proved this in his last fight when he outworked Jonathan Martinez to a clear-cut decision win in a truly impressive display of striking craft.

He will definitely have his work cut out for him against the No. 11-ranked Bautista, who has won six straight fights against respectable opposition. That said, he could put himself in title contention if he's victorious, so it's safe to assume he'll be well-prepared.

You know a card is stacked when a guy like Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson winds up on the undercard.

The former two-time welterweight title challenger is one of the most popular fighters in his division and is generally a shoo-in for a pay-per-view main card, but they just couldn't find space for him at UFC 307, so he'll meet Joaquin Buckley on the undercard.

Perhaps we shouldn't complain. We get this fight for free, and it looks great on paper.

Wonderboy, the poster boy for Karate in MMA, has been involved in some excellent fights, and Buckley is behind some of the most viral knockouts in recent memory—notably his ridiculous KO of 2023 PFL light heavyweight champ Impa Kasanganay. This one should be entertaining no matter who wins, and it really is hard to say who will emerge victorious.

Buckley is younger and definitely has the power to remove Wonderboy's batteries, but Wonderboy is nothing if not crafty, and he has a proven track record of derailing the momentum of young fighters.

Julianna Peña deserves her shot at bantamweight champ Raquel Pennington far less than Khalil Rountree does against Alex Pereira in the UFC 307 main event.

Sure, the "Venezuelan Vixen" is a former champ, but she hasn't fought since she was dominated by Amanda Nunes in 2022, and she hasn't beaten anyone of note since Barack Obama was in the White House.

The next title shot clearly, obviously, should have gone to Kayla Harrison.

Harrison has just one win in the UFC, but that was a lopsided decision defeat of combat sports legend Holly Holm, and it was preceded by the most dominant run any fighter has had in the PFL. She should be fighting Pennington for the belt in Salt Lake City—and likely would have been a massive favorite to win if the fight had been made.

The UFC messed up.

Thankfully, Harrison is still on the card and has a chance to make herself undeniable against a very respectable foe in Ketlen Vieira.

Vieira has been on the cusp of a title shot for years and also frankly deserves the opportunity more than Peña. She's a solid test for Harrison right now, and the winner of their fight will be irrefutable for a title shot, whether it's against Peña or Pennington.