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The first of two numbered UFC events in October goes down Saturday with UFC 307, which takes place at Delta Center in Salt Lake City with a main card on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
A pair of title fights top a loaded lineup in Utah. In the main event, Alex Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) will attempt to make a third light heavyweight title defines in 2024 when he takes on Khalil Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC). The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see women’s bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington (16-8 MMA, 13-5 UFC) finally get her long-desired clash with Julianna Peña (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the championship bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 307.
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Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree
Alex Pereira
Pereira is one of nine fighters in history to win titles in two weight classes. Randy Couture, B.J. Penn, Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, Amanda Nunes and Jon Jones accomplished the feat.
Pereira’s 11 MMA fights before becoming a two-division champion are the fewest in company history.
Pereira’s seven UFC fights to become a two-division champion are the fewest in company history.
Pereira’s eight MMA fights before becoming UFC champion is the second-fewest in modern history behind Brock Lesnar’s four.
Pereira becomes the first to compete in three UFC championship fights in 2024.
Pereira can become the seventh fighter to record three UFC title defenses in a calendar year. Frank Shamrock (1998), Tito Ortiz (2001), Matt Hughes (2002), Chuck Liddell (2006), Demetrious Johnson (2013) and Kamaru Usman (2021) have also accomplished the feat.
Pereira can set a new record for shortest time between three UFC title defenses at 175 days. Ronda Rousey currently holds the record at 189 days.
Pereira’s two consecutive UFC title defenses are tied for second-most among current champions behind Islam Makhachev (three).
Pereira is 4-0 since he moved up to the light heavyweight division in July 2023.
Pereira’s four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Carlos Ulberg (six) and Rountree (five).
Pereira has earned nine of his 11 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by stoppage.
Pereira lands 63.8 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC competition, the second-highest rate among active fighters in the company behind Tatiana Suarez (64 percent).
Khalil Rountree
Rountree’s five-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Ulberg (six).
Rountree’s seven knockout victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Chuck Liddell (nine) and Mauricio Rua (eight).
Rountree’s 13 knockdowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Liddell (14) and Rua (14).
Rountree’s four knockdowns landed at UFC 236 are the single-fight record for a UFC light heavyweight bout.
Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña
Raquel Pennington
Pennington is one of six fighters to hold the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
Pennington became UFC champion in her 18th octagon appearance, the most bouts for any first-time female titleholder in company history.
Pennington competes in her 18th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Pennington’s total fight time of 4:18:33 in UFC women’s bantamweight competition is most in divisional history.
Pennington’s 12 victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (13).
Pennington’s five-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Pennington’s 10 decision victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Pennington’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Rousey (three).
Pennington is one of six fighters in UFC history to earn a bulldog-choke submission victory. She accomplished the feat against Ashlee-Evans Smith at UFC 181.
Julianna Peña
Peña returns to competition for the first time since July 2022.
Pena is one of six fighters to hold the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
Pena is one of eight fighters in history to win a season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series and a UFC title.
Pena’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Nunes (eight) and Ronda Rousey (six).
Pena’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Rousey (three).
Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) is the only two-time UFC featherweight titleholder in history and one of 16 overall in company history to have two reigns in a single weight class.
Aldo is 4-3 since he dropped to the bantamweight division in December 2019.
Aldo has earned all four of his UFC bantamweight victories by decision.
Aldo’s average fight time of 17:38 in UFC bantamweight competition is the second-longest in divisional history behind Dominick Cruz (18:20).
Aldo’s 18 UFC/WEC featherweight victories are third-most in combined divisional history behind Max Holloway (20) and Cub Swanson (19).
Aldo’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are tied with Holloway for most in combined divisional history.
Aldo’s 11 knockout victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are most in combined divisional history.
Aldo defends 90 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Mario Bautista
Mario Bautista’s (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Merab Dvalishvili (10).
Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison
Ketlen Vieira
Ketlen Vieira’s (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) eight victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Nunes (13) and Pennington (12).
Vieira has earned seven of her eight UFC victories by decision.
Vieira defends 92.9 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
Kayla Harrison
Kayla Harrison (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is one of four Olympic gold medalist to fight in the UFC, along with Henry Cejudo, Kevin Jackson and Mark Schultz. She’s the only multi-time gold medalist in company history.
Harrison is one of two Olympic gold medalists to fight in the UFC since the organization was purchased by parent company Zuffa. Cejudo is the other.
Harrison is a two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion. She accomplished the feat in 2019 and 2021.
Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland
Kevin Holland (26-11 MMA, 13-8 UFC) was successful in his return to the middleweight division at UFC 302 in June. He’s 9-4 when fighting in the weight class.
Stephen Thompson vs. Joaquin Buckley
Stephen Thompson’s (17-7-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) 10 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Thiago Alves (13), Jake Ellenberger (11) and Matt Brown (11).
Thompson’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC welterweight fights are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (10) and Brown (nine).
Joaquin Buckley (20-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) is 4-0 since he dropped to the welterweight division in May 2023.
Buckley is one of five fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head, which he did at UFC on ESPN+ 37. Renan Barao, Uriah Hall, Natalia Silva and Magomed Mustafaev also accomplished the feat.
Marina Rodriguez vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Marina Rodriguez (18-4-2 MMA, 7-4-2 UFC) is the only female fighter in UFC history to fight to multiple draws.
Iasmin Lucindo’s (16-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at strawweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Suarez (six), Zhang Weili (four) and Virna Jandiroba (four).
Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria
Ihor Potieria (20-6 MMA, 2-4 UFC) is 1-1 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in February 2024.
Ryan Spann vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Ryan Spann’s (21-10 MMA, 7-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2022.
Ovince Saint Preux (27-17 MMA, 15-12 UFC) competes in his 26th UFC light heavyweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Saint Preux’s 15 victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied with Ryan Bader for third-most in divisional history behind Jon Jones (20) and Glover Teixeira (16).
Saint Preux’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Teixeira (13).
Saint Preux’s five submission victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Teixeira (seven) and Craig (six).
Saint Preux’s four submission victories by Von Flue choke are the most in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce combined organizational history.
Saint Preux’s four submission victories by Von Flue choke are the most in UFC history.
Saint Preux’s two technical submission victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Frank Mir (three).
Saint Preux has earned four of the eight Von Flue choke submissions in UFC history. Jason Von Flue, Jordan Rinaldi, Alonzo Menifield and Cory McKenna also won with the technique.
Saint Preux vs. Yushin Okami at UFC Fight Night 117 was just the second fight in modern UFC history to feature zero combined significant strike attempts. Ilir Latifi vs. Cyrille Diabate at UFC on FUEL TV 6 was the other.
Saint Preux’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC light heavyweight bouts are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Teixeira (10).
Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington
Carla Esparza (19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) will compete in her MMA retirement fight.
Esparza returns to competition for the first time since Nov. 12, 2022. The 693-day layoff is the longest of her nearly 15-year career.
Esparza was the first UFC strawweight champion. She lost the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 in March 2015
Esparza’s gap of 2,612 day between UFC title reigns is the longest in company history.
Esparza’s 10 victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Jedrzejczyk and Jessica Andrade for second-most in divisional history behind Angela Hill (11).
Esparza has completed at least one takedown against 14 of her 15 UFC opponents.
Esparza’s 45 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are most in divisional history.
Tecia Pennington (13-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) competes in her 17th UFC strawweight bout, tied for the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Hill (25), Randa Markos (18).
Pennington’s nine victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fifth-most in divisional history behind Hill (11), Andrade (10), Esparza (10) and Jedrzejczyk (10).
Court McGee vs. Tim Means
Court McGee (21-13 MMA, 10-12 UFC) is 8-9 since he dropped to the welterweight division in February 2013.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.