UFC 307 takeaways: Alex Pereira's spooky run, the need for 'queen' Kayla

A 12-fight card at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City was headlined by two title fights. In the co-main event, Julianna Peña reclaimed the title she took from Amanda Nunes as her split decision victory over Raquel Pennington earned her the women’s bantamweight belt. Will Peña vs. Kayla Harrison be next? To make sense of it all, Andreas Hale and Brett Okamoto offer their final takeaways on a dramatic fight night.

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The spooky season of Poatan

Hale: It feels fitting that this fight happened to kick off the month of October as Alex Pereira resembled Michael Myers, the relentless antagonist from the slasher film series “Halloween,” with his ability to stalk his opponents while wearing an expressionless mask on his face.

Pereira doesn’t need the mask, but the relentlessness feels just as spooky.

Few thought he would lose to Khalil Rountree Jr., and most expected a finish in the light heavyweight title fight. The predicted outcome happened, but the systematic way Pereira broke down a sturdy challenger with a disciplined offering of calf kicks and jabs in the face of adversity from a heavy-handed opponent was fascinating.

Rountree was fearless and presented a clear and present danger with his power. He caught Pereira’s attention early when he briefly dropped the champion with a counter right hand in the second round. But Pereira never panicked. Instead, he stuck to the game plan and drained Rountree’s gas tank with pressure while compromising his mobility with the calf kicks. He was never overanxious to finish the fight, despite surprisingly being down 29-28 on all three judges’ scorecards heading into the fourth round.

Once he realized Rountree was spent, he obtained the finish with a violent series of punches, including a pair of body shots that crumbled the challenger.

It’s frightening to watch his opponents melt from his power.

While this championship run may not be as remarkable as Ronda Rousey‘s 2014-15 run, when she defended the women’s bantamweight championship four times with no fight lasting longer than 66 seconds, Pereira’s is more devastating. Four wins, all by crushing knockout.

Pereira could attempt to make history by moving up to heavyweight to challenge for a title in a third weight class. Or, he could move back down to middleweight to face champion Dricus Du Plessis. He’s teased both options before, but in his postfight interview, he expressed comfort in staying where he’s at — perhaps knowing that the challenge of grappler Magomed Ankalaev is seen as unfinished business in the light heavyweight division. Once that job is completed, he can entertain other weight classes.

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Kayla Harrison is the queen the women’s bantamweight division needs

Okamoto: Kayla Harrison didn’t have the easiest fight Saturday, but she got the job done — and for the sake of the women’s bantamweight division, it’s a good thing she did.

I say this respectfully, but I wonder what state the women’s bantamweight division would be in right now if Harrison hadn’t moved over from the PFL in January.

With all respect to Pennington and Peña, this division is on life support without Harrison. Their five-round title fight was compelling and competitive but lacked real drama — not only on Saturday but throughout the week. It’s not their fault. Amanda Nunes left a giant GOAT-shaped hole in this division, but it will take something special to come even close to filling that, and Harrison is the only fighter with a chance.

I don’t think the UFC would abolish it entirely, but I also can’t say with 100% certainty they wouldn’t. Just look at some of the names that are ranked in this division. Per the UFC’s rankings, Chelsea Chandler is 6-3, ranked No. 15. Germaine de Randamie has fought once in four years … and lost. She’s ranked No. 13. Yana Santos is 1-3 in her last four. She’s ranked inside the Top 10.

This division barely exists, if we’re just being honest. Even Nunes couldn’t come up with much to say after Harrison narrowly beat Ketlen Vieira, as she simply posted a lion and wink emoji on X. Divisions go through slumps all the time, but this is not a good product right now. Harrison called herself the queen — and whether you like her or not — she ain’t wrong. Without her right now, I’m not confident this division survives another year.

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Cookie Monster’s fitting finale

Okamoto: In the end, it was a fitting end. Carla Esparza‘s final appearance in the UFC was challenging to score, and this one did not go her way. But the Salt Lake City crowd gave her a very positive sendoff, as did the UFC with a nice in-house video package.

Esparza was, unapologetically, one of the least entertaining fighters in UFC history. Truly. And I don’t say that disparagingly. She became known for her lack of emotion during walkouts and Bruce Buffer announcements. Many of her most significant wins and losses went to split decision, as judges struggled to make sense of her ability to neutralize her opponents’ offense but not always dominate them with her own. Arguably, the biggest win of her career, a split decision over Rose Namajunas in their title fight rematch in 2022, is remembered as one of the worst MMA fights ever.

And yet, the history books will remember Esparza and show her enormous respect for the 19 victories she earned throughout a 14-year career. She gave the women’s strawweight division an identity before it even existed in the UFC as a champion of Invicta and became a two-time champion despite a very long, difficult path back to the top after she initially lost her belt in 2015. She was not the most fan-friendly champ, but she more than earned the sport’s respect and never shied away from who she was. It won’t be surprising to see her in the UFC Hall of Fame someday.