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A dive into all fights and fighters

SALT LAKE CITY – With the UFC announcing its return to Utah for UFC 307, let’s take a look at each fighter and all the fights on the packed card.

From familiar faces to newcomers and arguably the best fighters in the world, UFC 307 may have the best field Salt Lake City has ever seen.

All UFC 307 fights

More early preliminary fights will be added to the map towards the end of October 5th.

Stephen Thompson vs Joaquin Buckley – Welterweight

Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Joaquin “New Mansa” Buckley will open UFC 307 with what is expected to be a very entertaining fight.

Thompson's last fight was in December 2023, when he lost by submission to Shavkat Rakhmonov. Buckley has fought twice since then, defeating Nursulton Ruziboev in May and knocking out Vicente Luque in March.

Thompson was scheduled to fight at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City last July, but his opponent Michel Pereira weighed too much and the fight was canceled.

Thompson and Buckley are both known as strikers. Thompson has a karate background and is more calculated with his moves. Buckley uses his explosiveness to his advantage and is always a threat when it comes to finishing his fights with one punch.

13 of Buckley's 19 career wins have come by knockout. Thompson is also a threat, with eight of his wins coming by knockout. However, when the fight goes into the later rounds, Wonderboy can really pull away. He has six career wins by unanimous decision.

Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland – Middleweight

Roman Dolidze and Kevin “Trailblazer” Holland are both 1-2 in their last three fights and will look to score their second consecutive win at the Delta Center.

Dolidze defeated Anthony Smith by unanimous decision at UFC 303. Holland defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk by submission, bringing his career submission total to nine.

This fight is for MMA junkies. Both fighters are versatile and can do damage both in exchanges and on the ground. Both fighters also have a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Dolidze is more of a play-by-the-rules fighter, while Holland is more creative and unconventional. Holland is also known for talking to anyone who will listen during his fights. Whether it's his opponent, the commentators, or the fans, Holland does everything he can to gain a mental advantage in the Octagon.

Holland fought at UFC 291 in SLC and defeated Michael Chiesa by submission in the first round.

Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison – Women’s Bantamweight

Ketlen “Fenomeno” Vieira and Kayla Harrison will face off in one of the two women’s main event bouts at UFC 307.

Harrison made her UFC debut in April and immediately made a name for herself by knocking out Holly Holm in the second round. Vieira's last few fights have been tough contests, but she has mostly come out on top. She is 3-1 in her last four fights, with all of her fights being decided by decision.

This fight was also well chosen as both fighters have a similar style and judo background. Vieria and Harrison can both do a lot on the ground. Vieria has a slight striking advantage, but Harrison has the edge in terms of overall strength and athletic ability.

Vieria has a career record of 14-3. Harrison has just one loss and 17 wins.

Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling – Featherweight

Movsar Evloev and Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling will fight at the Delta Center with their undefeated record on the line.

Evloev's record currently stands at 18-0. However, his 19th fight is no walk in the park. Sterling's career record is 24-4 and he has won 10 of his last 11 fights. His only loss came to Sean O'Malley in the main event of UFC 292.

In most of his fights, Sterling has the advantage in grappling. That won't be the case on October 5. Evloev has one of the best ground fighting skills in the UFC, regardless of weight class. His striking and fight intelligence are both good, but much of his undefeated record is credited to his dominance on the ground.

Sterling has an advantage when standing. He is creative when standing upright, is known for switching up his stance and has a wide variety of strikes that keep his opponents guessing.

This fight will likely go one of two ways. An early submission that will leave fans wanting more, or a bloodbath that could overshadow some of the subsequent encounters.

José Aldo vs Mario Bautista – Bantamweight

José Aldo and Mario Bautista will face each other at UFC 307. It should be one of the more technically demanding fights on the card.

Aldo is one of the greatest featherweights of all time with a record of 32-8. Bautista is six years younger and hasn't been nearly as active as Aldo throughout his career, but still has an impressive record of 14-2.

Since he switched to bantamweight at UFC 245, however, Aldo has not been quite as successful. In the lighter class, he is only 4-3.

Nevertheless, it should be a great fight. Both fighters are equally impressive on the ground and off, as well as in attack and defense situations.

At 37, Aldo has been hinting at retirement for several years. There's no official announcement yet, but Salt Lake City will witness one of the last UFC fights for one of the greatest of all time.

Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña – Women’s Bantamweight Title Fight

Raquel “Rocky” Pennington will defend her belt against Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña this October at the Delta Center.

Pennington has been on an absolute run this decade, winning six straight fights on her way to the top of the bantamweight division. Peña hasn't fought since July 2022, but before her hiatus from the sport, she defeated Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 and was at the top of the division for over six months.

If UFC fans are looking for a bloody fight, this is the fight for them. Both Pennington and Peña are considered durable fighters who want to last longer in the Octagon than you.

Pennington relies on a rock-solid striking game to slowly wear down her opponents. With her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background, Peña has been good at tiring out her opponents in the past.

The biggest question heading into this fight is how Peña will look after more than two years have passed since her last UFC appearance.

Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. – Light heavyweight title fight

And finally the main event.

Many people call Alex “Poatan” Pereira the best fighter in the world right now. Although it's a bit controversial, #8 ranked light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. has a shot at the belt after five straight wins.

Don't let his rankings fool you, though. Rountree is one of the most aggressive and powerful fighters in the world. Four of his last five wins have come by knockout.

However, he faces a big challenge at UFC 307, both literally and figuratively.

Standing three inches taller than his opponent, with a 2.5-inch reach, Pereira is already known for using his stature to his advantage. With his kickboxing past, he is a master at inflicting damage from a safe distance.

Although Pereira is undoubtedly the more intelligent and calculating fighter, his aggressiveness and relentless approach helped him to three consecutive knockout victories.

All of Poatan's battles are highly entertaining. But this one should be a war.

Chandler Holt is co-host of the Jazz Notes Podcasta Locals In The NFL Insider and Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.comFollow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on threads @chandlerho1t.

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