Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. combined to land 188 significant strikes during their Fight of the Night main event at UFC 307 this past weekend and both will require some time to recover before stepping back into the cage.
Make no mistake about it, Pereira did most of the damage during the fight, finishing Rountree in the fourth round by technical knockout after connecting on 127 of 209 significant strike attempts and causing plenty of visible damage.
The reigning light heavyweight champion has now defended his title three consecutive times and has won five in a row since moving up from middleweight to the 205-pound division last year.
Pereira explained during his post-fight press conference in Salt Lake City that leading up to the event he had multiple issues to overcome that no one outside his team knew about.
The 37-year-old said he sustained a rib injury during his training camp, reinjured the toe he damaged earlier this year and was on antibiotics to combat a throat issue and fever.
Pereira has been the UFC’s most active champion by participating in four title fights within the past 11 months and nobody on the roster deserves some time off more than the Brazilian superstar.
He said he also dealt with visa issues that occupied his time and energy on a daily basis until he arrived in the United States about a month before his fight.
“There’s a lot of things that I went through in this camp,” Pereira said through a translator. “It was a tough fight, but it was a tough lead-up to this fight, and I actually feel really proud of myself at this moment.”
His opponent absorbed more strikes than any of Pereira’s previous UFC opponents and Rountree sustained a massive cut above his right eye that required stitches meaning he will be out until at least the middle of 2025.
Rountree was gracious in defeat and posted a statement on his social media the day after his five-fight winning streak was snapped.
“(Alex) thanks for helping me see that I’m ready to take on the world,” Rountree wrote. “You showed amazing skill, you brought out a version of me that I needed to experience. You’re the champ for a reason, much respect. … I appreciate all of the positive messages from everyone around the world. …
“I will take time to heal from this, I’ll be back even better, it’s inevitable. I’m grateful. Never give up on yourself, always fight hard, uplift your communities and find ways to make the most out of life.”