Sports
UFC 307: Preview, Props, Odds & Trends
Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira during weigh ins for UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Alex Pereira makes the third title defense of his light heavyweight title he opposes Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event of UFC 307 that begins at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Pereira (11-2 MMA), a 37-year-old Brazilian, is fresh off back-to-back knockout victories against ex-UFC light heavyweight champions Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April and Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 in June.
Rountree (14-5 MMA), a 34-year-old Los Angeles native, is rated No. 8 in the light heavyweight division, having won five straight fights. In his latest outing, he finished Anthony Smith by third-round TKO in December, earning the title shot.
Pereira said Thursday at the pre-fight press conference that he greatly respects Rountree Jr. for accepting the fight and his willingness and belief as one of the division’s best fighters.
“Khalil’s up there,” Pereira said via translation. “You can’t deny that anymore. For all the work he’s put in, he is a great striker in this organization. He got the shot, and I am grateful (to fight him).”
LOPSIDED ACTION
Pereira is one of nine UFC fighters to capture championships in multiple weight classes. He won the UFC middleweight title at UFC 281 in November 2022 with a stunning TKO of long-time rival Israel Adesanya. Pereira’s reign was short-lived, however, as he lost the belt to Adesanya in an immediate rematch at UFC 287 in April 2023.
Pereira is a -470 favorite at DraftKings, where he has been the most heavily-bet fighter on the card, and a -520 favorite at FanDuel, with Rountree a heavy underdog at +360 and +350, respectively. Pereira winning by submission (+1600) has been thee most popular winning method at DraftKings, where Rountree winning by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification is next at +500.
BetMGM has also seen one-sided support for Pereira, who has drawn 79 percent of the bets and 66 percent of the money at -500.
THEY SAID IT
Rountree said he is remaining loose and relaxed ahead of the biggest fight of his career. He said he wants this fight remembered as a vehicle for those who can achieve anything.
“Ask yourself this question, right?” Rountree said. “Everybody in the crowd asks yourself this question, ‘What do you want in life? Like, what do you actually want? Not material. When it comes down to a feeling, a vision that you see for yourself. What do you want? And what’s stopping you? That’s what I’m asking myself right now, and that’s what I’ve asked myself all the way up until this point. What’s stopping me from getting what I want?
“For me, the answer has been myself. I think that it’s the same for a lot of people. A lot of times, it’s ourselves in front of us that’s stopping us. So, for me, it’s like, I’ve overcome that (feeling) so many times. And I’m at this point right now. The challenge is not done.”
TITLE BOUT IN CO-MAIN EVENT
The co-main event is a title bought featuring the UFC women’s bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington (16-8 MMA) and former champion Julianna Pena (11-5 MMA). Both women are mainstays of the division and were ex-roommates on The Ultimate Fighter 18, but they have never had the opportunity to compete.
Pena went on to win the season and four out of her first six UFC outings before earning a title shot against then-champion Amanda Nunes. Pena upset Nunes to win the belt in a one-sided affair at UFC 269 in December 2021, securing a second-round rear-naked-choke.
Similarly to the Adesanya-Pereira rivalry, Pena’s championship run lasted less than a year. At UFC 277 in July 2022, Nunes swept the scorecards to win back the belt. She defended it again the following summer against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 before retiring after the victory.
Pennington wound up claiming the vacant title by winning a sixth straight bout, defeating Mayra Bueno Silva by decision at UFC 297 in January.
Pennington opened as the -185 favorite at BetMGM, with those odds shifting to -150 despite drawing 62 percent of the total bets and 53 percent of the money to beat Pena (+125).
OTHER MAIN CARD FIGHTS
ROMAN DOLIDZE VS. KEVIN HOLLAND
The middleweights open the main card. Dolidze will step into the Octagon for the third time this year, having rebounded from a February loss to Nassourdine Imavov by notching a short-notice unanimous decision victory over Anthony Smith at UFC 303.
Dolidze, who has split his UFC time between the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, can move up the middleweight ranks with a win over Holland, who snapped a two-fight losing streak with a first-round submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk in his most recent fight. However, he has won just one of his past four middleweight fights.
Holland opened at -165 at BetMGM, but those odds have shifted to -145 with the public backing him with 61 percent of the money. But the total bets have been almost split, with Dolidze holding a slight edge with 53 percent.
JOSE ALDO VS. MARIO BAUTISTA
This bantamweight fight pits the Brazilian Aldo against Bautista, a rising name who faces his stiffest test to date. Aldo came out of a brief retirement to score a decision win over Jonathan Martinez in Rio de Janeiro in May. Bautista, meanwhile, is riding a six-fight win streak. The MMA Lab product most recent earned a unanimous decision win over Ricky Simon.
The public has been split, with Bautista backed by 56 percent of the money as the -140 favorite, while Aldo has been supported by a whopping 79 percent of the bets — driving his odds down from +130 to +115 by Friday.
KETLEN VIEIRA VS. KAYLA HARRISON
This women’s bantamweight fight features the 135-pound mainstay Vieira against the newcomer Harrison, who dominated former champion Holly Holm in her UFC debut in April. Vieira, who also has a win over Holm on her resume, lost a split decision against Pennington before beating Pannie Kianzad.
It’s a massive fight for both women, with the winner in excellent position to face the winner of Pennington-Pena in the co-main event. Harrison is the biggest favorite on the main card at -1100. That has led to lopsided action for Vieira, who has drawn 83 percent of the total bets and 80 percent of the money as the +700 underdog.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: A's sign LHP Dallas Keuchel to minor league deal
Jul 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) throws during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images The Athletics signed former American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract, ESPN reported Saturday.
The 38-year-old left-hander, a two-time All-Star, last pitched in the majors for the Milwaukee Brewers on July 13, 2024.
He has 13 years of major league experience, most prominently with the Houston Astros (2012-18). In 2015, he went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA and 216 strikeouts, en route to winning the AL Cy Young Award.
The veteran will now attempt another comeback with the Athletics. Per ESPN, he will report to Triple-A Las Vegas.
With the Astros, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Brewers, Keuchel is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA and 1,254 strikeouts in 282 games (267 starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Magomed Ankalaev puts away Bogdan Guskov at UFC Abu Dhabi
Oct 4, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Magomed Ankalaev (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Alex Pereira (blue gloves) during UFC 320 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images After a slow-paced, grueling affair that drew boos from the Etihad Arena crowd, No. 1-ranked former UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev finally put away No. 9 Bogdan Guskov with fifth-round ground-and-pound at 2:41 to cap off Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi.
The main event was a slog for the first 15 minutes. The opening frame saw very little action, and the second round was largely uneventful aside from Ankalaev (22-2-1, 1 NC MMA) securing a clinch and landing a few knees. The lack of output continued into the third, prompting the restless Abu Dhabi crowd to loudly voice their frustration and shower both men with boos as they returned to their corners.
Ankalaev shifted gears in the championship rounds, immediately taking Guskov (18-4-1 MMA) to the mat to open the fourth. He worked his way to full mount before settling into half guard, eventually threatening with a rear-naked choke that Guskov managed to defend to survive the frame.
Guskov, who landed just 42 strikes throughout the entire fight, nearly pulled off a miracle head-in-arm choke early in the fifth round. Ankalaev calmly escaped the sudden submission threat and eventually took Guskov’s back. Despite a brief reversal from Guskov in a desperate scramble, Ankalaev regained top position and unleashed a vicious barrage of ground-and-pound to force the stoppage.
The victory gave Ankalaev his 13th UFC win, the most among active light heavyweights.
“I want to say thank you to Bogdan (Guskov) for coming in here and saving the fight,” Ankalaev said. “I feel good. Thank you.”
Watching the grueling affair cageside was reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg, who is currently sidelined recovering from a torn ACL. With the stoppage victory, Ankalaev likely solidified his position as the next challenger for Ulberg once the champion is cleared to return to the Octagon.
Flyweight Ramazan Temirov (20-3 MMA) secured his 12th consecutive victory in spectacular fashion, thoroughly dominating former title challenger Steve Erceg (14-5 MMA) en route to a first-round knockout.
Temirov set the tone early with a spinning back attack to begin the bout. Later in the frame, he unleashed a barrage of punches before putting the finishing touches on the performance. The final sequence began with a right hand before Temirov dropped and flatlined Erceg with a single punch to end things at the 4:21 mark.
Following the spectacular finish, Temirov used his post-fight interview to call out reigning UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van for a future title fight.
“I’m ready for everyone,” Temirov said. “Whoever is champion, I’m ready.”
Lightweight Magomed Zaynukov (9-0 MMA) leaned on highly effective striking and mixed combinations to secure a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) over Damian Rzepecki (10-1 MMA). After a slow-paced opening frame, Zaynukov found his rhythm and dictated the action down the stretch, opening noticeable cuts over Rzepecki’s nose and eyes to cruise to the win.
Heavyweight Rizvan Kuniev (14-3-1 MMA) wore down an incredibly game Tyrell Fortune (18-4 MMA), ultimately securing a TKO victory with a devastating knee to the head at the 1:12 mark of the third round. Kuniev nearly finished the bout in both the first and second frames with a barrage of knees and elbows, but Fortune showed immense toughness, surviving the early onslaught and continuing to fight despite a severely compromised right rib.
In the main card opener, Abubakar Vagaev (25-4 MMA) leaned on a balanced attack of striking and timely takedowns to secure a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over Saygid Izagakhmaev (22-4 MMA).
Saturday’s main card was unexpectedly reduced from six fights to five just three hours before the event began. The UFC announced that Islam Dulatov was forced to withdraw from his scheduled welterweight bout against Wellington Turman due to an illness, prompting a last-minute cancellation.
Heavyweight Valter Walker (16-1 MMA) made history on Saturday’s preliminary card, securing his fifth consecutive submission victory to tie former middleweight title challenger Demian Maia for the longest submission streak in modern UFC history. Walker finished Thomas Petersen (11-5 MMA) via first-round calf slicer — an incredibly rare finish that marks only the fourth of its kind ever successfully executed inside the Octagon.
Saturday marked the UFC’s 23rd event in Abu Dhabi since 2010. The promotion also announced during the broadcast that it will make its 24th trip to the United Arab Emirates on Oct. 24 for UFC 333.
The UFC returns to action next Saturday, kicking off August with a trip to Serbia for UFC Fight Night.
–Field Level Media
Sports
WTA roundup: Anna Bondar goes overtime, reaches Hamburg final
May 25, 2026; Paris, France; Anna Bondar of Hungary reacts during her first round match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on day two at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images No. 4 seed Anna Bondar of Hungary outlasted Elina Avanesyan of Armenia 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (2) in a three-hour, 29-minute match on Saturday to advance to the final of the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open in Germany.
Bondar will face fifth-seeded Tamara Korpatsch of Germany, who advanced in her semifinal match when Mayar Sherif of Egypt retired in the second set with an injury. Bondar reached the final at Hamburg for the second consecutive year.
Bondar was down 5-3 in the opening set against Avanesyan before rallying then taking the final four points of the tiebreaker for the set. Bondar also lost serve to fall behind 2-0 in the deciding set then won the first five points of the tiebreaker to advance.
Korpatsch dominated the opening set 6-1 then went up 2-0 in the second set before Sherif was forced to bow out. Sherif was coming off her first title in four years at the Iasi Open in Romania.
Prague Open
Lilli Tagger of Austria pulled off an upset of No. 2 seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic and earned her way into the final with a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4) semifinal victory.
Both semifinalists from the Czech Republic fell in their home country with No. 5 seed Tereza Valentova losing 7-6 (4), 6-3 to No. 8 seed Daria Snigur of Ukraine.
After losing the opening set, Tagger rallied by breaking Krejcikova’s serve to go up 4-2 in the second set. She broke serve again in the fourth game of the final set then won the final three points in the tiebreaker to win the match.
Snigur and Valentova each broke serve twice in the opening set before Snigur won the final four points of the tiebreaker. Snigur then broke Valentova’s serve twice in the second set, including once to take a 5-3 lead before serving for the match.
–Field Level Media
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Report: A's sign LHP Dallas Keuchel to minor league deal
