POST Wrestling will provide live coverage of UFC 307 all evening, offering quick reports on everything from the opening fight of the night to the main event. Keep refreshing this post throughout the evening for the latest!
Quick results
Main Card (10 p.m. EDT) (PPV)
- Alex Pereira (11-2) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-5) (UFC Light Heavyweight Championship)
- Raquel Pennington (16-8) vs. Julianna Pena (10-5) (UFC Bantamweight Championship)
- Jose Aldo (32-8) vs. Mario Bautista (14-2) (Bantamweight)
- Roman Dolidze (13-3) vs. Kevin Holland (26-11) (Middleweight)
- Kayla Harrison (17-1) vs. Ketlen Vieira (14-3) (Bantamweight)
Preliminary Card (8 p.m. EDT) (ESPNews / ESPN+)
- Joaquin Buckley def. Stephen Thompson via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 2:17)
- Iasmin Lucindo def. Marina Rodriguez via Decision, Split
- Alexander Hernandez def. Austin Hubbard via Decision, Split
- Cesar Almeida def. Ihor Potieira via Decision, Unanimous
Early Prelims (6:30 p.m. EDT) (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
- Ryan Spann def. Ovince St. Preux via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 1, 1:35)
- Tecia Pennington def. Carla Esparza via Decision, Unanimous
- Court McGee def. Tim Means via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 3:19)
The latest – 10:05 p.m. ET: Joaquin Buckley avoids scorecard worries against Stephen Thompson with right hook knockout
Joaquin Buckley took scorecards out of the equation in a close battle against veteran Stephen Thompson, knocking him out cold in the third round with a brutal right hand. An advancing Buckley put Thompson out with a hard right hook, ending a fight that saw Thompson find success as a counter-striker in the prior rounds. The win continues an impressive five-fight winning streak for Buckley, who previously also stopped Vicente Luque in March.
Up next: UFC 307’s main card will kick off with a high-profile clash at bantamweight, as two-time PFL champ Kayla Harrison will meet second-ranked Ketlen Vieira. The winner of the fight will likely be next in line to take on the prevailing fighter in the co-main event title bout between Julianna Pena and Raquel Pennington.
Prelim results: Iasmin Lucindo breaks into strawweight’s top 10, Alexander Hernandez wins in return to lightweight
Iasmin Lucindo got her arm raised after a pivotal fight in the strawweight rankings, securing a top-10 place in the division after beating Marina Rodriguez in a split decision result. The takedown skills and ground control of Lucindo allowed her to both lead the fight at times and break up strong moments from Rodriguez. The 22-year-old has now won four consecutive appearances and will likely go as high as sixth in the division’s official rankings by next week.
Alexander Hernandez won in his return to the lightweight division, getting by Austin Hubbard in a split decision outcome. Hernandez had a strong start to the fight, doing enough with his striking to get the nod despite Hubbard having a strong final round at stand-up range. The victory is a bounce-back for him after suffering a pair of losses down at featherweight over the past year.
Kickboxing specialist Cesar Almeida bounced back from his sole MMA loss with a unanimous decision win over Ihor Potieria, clearing scorecards to walk away as the successful middleweight. While Almeida showed success both on the feet and in ground positions, a controversial performance from referee Dave Seljestad stole the show. The fight went without any point deductions despite numerous fouls, and many clinch positions were separated due to inactivity just seconds after beginning.
Ryan Spann scored an important win on Saturday’s prelims, snapping a three-fight skid with a first-round submission victory over veteran Ovince St. Preux. Spann hurt St. Preux with a right hand in the second minute of the fight, then went to the ground with a guillotine choke to secure a tap. The submission result marked Spann’s first victory since late 2022 and ended the longest losing streak of his career.
Utah’s own Court McGee opened the night with a quick win, beating fellow veteran Tim Means in the first round with a rear naked choke. He was able to get the fight down early, then got on the back of Means to apply the choke and force a tap in three-and-a-half minutes. The submission was a big win for McGee, who snapped a three-fight skid and scored his first win since early 2022. It also marked his first victory inside his home state in roughly eight years.
Two-time strawweight champ Carla Esparza retires
Former two-time UFC Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza stepped away from the sport on Saturday night, wrapping up her decorated MMA career following a unanimous decision loss against Tecia Pennington.
Pennington prevailed in a competitive and close three-round battle, one that saw Esparza empty the tank knowing that her career was soon coming to an end.
Esparza entered the UFC roster in 2014 following a record of nine wins and two losses on the regional scene, including appearances in Bellator and a brief title run in women’s MMA brand Invicta FC.
She became the strawweight division’s first-ever UFC champ by winning Season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, defeating Rose Namajunas via third-round submission in the show’s final. Her first-ever title run came to an end in 2015 when she was stopped by Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Esparza continued to compete as a high-level name in the strawweight division for years, facing many of the division’s top names. In a rare case of a fighter having a career resurgence numerous years following their prior run on top, Esparza put together a five-fight winning streak to earn a title shot against long-time rival Namajunas in 2022.
Eight years after her first run, Esparza defeated Namajunas for the second time at UFC 274 to regain the UFC Strawweight Championship. She dropped the belt later that year to Zhang Weili, the division’s incumbent champ.
Saturday marked Esparza’s return after giving birth to her son a little over a year ago.
“It’s an amazing journey these last 15 years,” Esparza said in her post-fight interview. “I’ve fought the best of the best. It’s not always easy, there’s ups and downs in this sport, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way.”
Later tonight: Light heavyweight fan favorite Pereira takes on Rountree Jr.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira, a flashy kickboxer who has become one of the most active champions on the UFC roster, will make his fourth title appearance within 12 months when he faces Khalil Rountree Jr. at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA this evening.
Pereira has become arguably the promotion’s biggest name this year, putting together highlight-reel wins over Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill in recent months. This weekend sees him come in as a noticeable favorite against Rountree Jr., who similarly has gained prominence in the division for his quick hands.
Whether Pereira remains on top or Rountree Jr. pulls off an upset, all signs point toward the main event being a fan-friendly battle on the feet.
Keep an eye on this post throughout the night for the latest on Pereira vs. Rountree Jr., plus the 11 other fights set to take place at UFC 307.
