UFC307: Savagery in Salt Lake
After the spectacle of UFC306 in the Sphere, which, to be fair, had all the razzle but not much dazzle in the fights.
It was time to get back to the fighting being the main spectacle, and UFC307 was front and centre.
In the UFC’s fourth visit to Salt Lake and first since July 2023 at UFC 291. At high altitude, with Salt Lake City around 4,300 feet above sea level, resulting in less oxygen.
From the twelve fights on the card, seven went the distance. There were four stoppages and one corner stoppage due to injury.
TOP PERFORMER: ALEX PEREIRA
Are there any more superlatives you can say about this unbelievable champion that hasn’t already been said?
The highly active fighter maintained his three-fight-a-year record since 2021, with this superb title defence.
Roundtree Jr started the fight very well and probably won the first two rounds, though not doing any significant damage. However, from the third onwards, Pereira began to systematically break him down with a devastating display of power and precision.
Then walked him down in the fourth like a man possessed and finished it off with two brutal body shots to add to the endless strikes to the face that left Rountree Jr’s face a bloody mess to defend his light heavyweight title.
TOP PERFORMER 2: JOAQUIN BUCKLEY
The most explosive and devastating finish on the card came from this man.
Buckley went into this on a four-fight winning streak. Known for his explosive power, he certainly demonstrated that in his fight against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
But did not have it his own way, and had trouble with Thompson’s karate style trying to get in close, combined with Thompson’s reach advantage.
However, Buckley never stopped coming forward and eventually caught up with Thompson with a devastating, jumping right hand on the button to leave Wonderboy in a crumpled heap on the octagon floor.
Honourable mentions
Julianna Peña returned from over two years out to record a split points victory over Raquel Pennington to claim the bantamweight title. Peña recovered from being dropped to show her well-roundedness, battling on the feet then winning it with her wrestling and takedowns. Going five rounds at high altitude, where her opponent lives and is used to.
Ryan Spann was coming off a three-fight losing streak in what could have been make-or-break to record a first-round submission victory over Ovince Saint Preux. He demonstrated his incredible strength to lock in a standing guillotine, which eventually went to the ground and forced OSP to tap after just 1.35 seconds of the fight.
Kyla Harrison continued her fast track to a possible bantamweight title fight with her second victory in the UFC over No2 ranked Ketlen Viera. Although she was cut, she never looked in trouble, showing strength and wrestling skills a two-time Olympic gold medalist should have on the way to a comfortable unanimous points victory.
Iasmin Lucindo won a split points victory over the experienced Marina Rodriquez, a woman 15 years her senior. At 22, Lucindo is currently the youngest female fighter in the UFC and has already fought five times. This hard-fought victory showcased her grit, toughness and fighting ability, and it moved her to a four-fight winning streak.
