The UFC light heavyweight championship will be on the line on Saturday when defending champion Alex Pereira faces challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City. The main UFC 307 fight card at the Delta Center will begin around 10 p.m. ET, with Pereira and Rountree to follow. Pereira, 37, is the No. 2 fighter in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Rountree, coming off a suspension for using a banned substance, is eighth in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.
Pereira is a -480 favorite (risk $480 to win $100), while Rountree is priced at +360 in the UFC 307 odds. The main card also features a women’s bantamweight matchup between Raquel Pennington (-165) and Julianna Pena (+140). Before making any UFC 307 picks, be sure to see the UFC 307 predictions and best bets from SportsLine’s Daniel Vithlani.
Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he’s up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks.
His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Vithlani has studied Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree from every angle and revealed his top picks and best bets. You can only see Vithlani’s UFC 307 picks at SportsLine.
Pereira vs. Rountree preview
Pereira has been on a tear since making his light heavyweight debut in July 2023. After earning a split decision win over Jan Blachowicz, he knocked out Jiri Prochazka at 4:08 of the second round to win the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship and Performance of the Night at UFC 295. He then defended his title this past April with a first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill at UFC 300.
In his last bout, he knocked out Prochazka in a rematch at UFC 303 in June to defend his title and earn Performance of the Night. Pereira has compiled an 11-2 overall record, with nine wins by knockout and two by decision. He has won five of his last six bouts by knockout. He is also a former champion kickboxer, winning 33 of 40 matches, including 21 by knockout.
Rountree, the 34-year-old from Los Angeles is the eighth-ranked UFC light-heavyweight. He is coming off a two-month suspension for a banned substance. Prior to that, he had back-to-back Performance of the Night efforts, including a first-round knockout of Chris Daukaus in August 2023. In his last bout, he knocked out Anthony Smith in the third round at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez in December 2023.
Rountree began his professional career in 2014, winning his first four fights. After a rough patch, which saw him go 4-5-1 from 2016 to 2021, he has seemingly turned things around. In his career, he has registered nine wins by knockout and four by decision. He is on a five-bout winning streak. See which fighter to pick here.
Top UFC 307 picks
One of Vithlani’s top UFC 307 picks: He is backing Kevin Holland (-155) to get past Roman Dolidze (+130) in a matchup of middleweight sluggers to kick off the main card.
“This should be an interesting middleweight matchup as both fighters have unique personalities in the Octagon,” Vithlani told SportsLine. “Holland is a long-range striker with an 81-inch reach who ikes to stay on the outside using his reach advantage, and then crash in with his snapping right hand. Holland has a strong clinch game as well, and sneaky strong Ju-Jitsu.
“Dolidze is a bruising striker who will march forward looking to land his big blow. Dolidze is also a skilled grappler, so he may look to tangle up with Holland to take away his size advantage. I see Holland battling his way out of the clinch, and out-landing Dolidze on the feet. Both fighters are durable, so I would look to bet on this fight going the distance as well.” See more UFC 307 picks at SportsLine.
How to make UFC 307 picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Pereira vs. Rountree and every other bout on the UFC 307 card. He’s also backing a fighter who is “the more technical striker” to pull off a big win. He’s sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC 307, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
UFC 307 fight card, odds
Alex Pereira (-480) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (+360)
Raquel Pennington (-165) vs. Julianna Pena (+140)
Mario Bautista (-140) vs. Jose Aldo (+120)
Kayla Harrison (-1200) vs. Ketlen Vieira (+750)
Kevin Holland (-155) vs. Roman Dolidze (+130)
Joaquin Buckley (-230) vs. Stephen Thompson (+190)
Iasmin Lucindo (-180) vs. Marina Rodriguez (+150)
Cesar Almeida (-400) vs. Ihor Potieria (+310)
Alexander Hernandez (-130) vs. Austin Hubbard (+110)
Tecia Pennington (-185) vs. Carla Esparza (+155)
Ryan Spann (-260) vs. Ovince St. Preux (+210)
Tim Means (-190) vs. Court McGee (+160)
Read the full article here
