5 best finishes from the stars of UFC 307: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr
This weekend sees the UFC visit Salt Lake City. The promotion is set to produce a major pay-per-view featuring some truly great fighters.
UFC 307: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr not only features two title fights, but it also boasts some of the octagon's most lethal fighters on the card, too.
These fighters have produced some truly memorable finishes over the years, from nasty knockouts to slick submissions. With any hope, they'll produce some more this weekend.
For now, though, here are the five best finishes from the stars of UFC 307: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
#5. Joaquin Buckley vs. Vicente Luque - UFC on ESPN 54
It goes without saying that Joaquin Buckley's best and most famous finish came against Impa Kasanganay back in 2020. In fact, the spinning back kick landed by 'New Mansa' that night is arguably the most viral finish in UFC history.
However, even the man himself has stated that he doesn't want the finish to define him. It also came when he was fighting at 185 pounds.
Therefore, it's worth looking at one of his more recent finishes, a thrilling TKO of Vincente Luque that sent him crashing into the top fifteen at 170 pounds last year.
The fight looked like an exciting one on paper, but based on his experience and own finishing skills, Luque seemed favored to win.
Buckley turned that idea on its head, though, by largely bullying 'The Silent Assassin'.
After narrowly winning the first round, 'New Mansa' then stunned the Brazilian with a pair of right hands that led him to make the fateful decision to pull guard.
Usually, it wouldn't have been a bad idea given how dangerous he'd been from his back throughout his octagon career. Here, though, he stood no chance.
Showing no fear of his foe's Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Buckley hammered him with piston-like punches through the guard until Luque went out, forcing the referee to step in and rescue him.
It was a landmark finish for 'New Mansa'. Sure, it wasn't as flashy as his spin kick, but here, he'd beaten a proven top-level foe, and if he can beat Stephen Thompson this weekend, he'll be a genuine contender at 170 pounds.
#4. Kevin Holland vs. Jacare Souza - UFC 256
Kevin Holland has long been recognized as one of the UFC's most exciting fighters, and a lot of that comes from his finishing ability.
Since his octagon debut back in 2018, 'The Trailblazer' has delivered ten finishes, mixing up knockouts and submissions equally.
However, it's fair to say that his best finish almost certainly came against Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza at the end of 2020.
The year was a banner one for Holland, as he'd already won four fights in the preceding eight months leading into his bout with Jacare. Few fans gave him much hope of taking out the legendary Brazilian grappler, though.
Holland, though, flipped the script in devastating fashion, dispatching Jacare with violence in the first round.
It didn't look good for 'The Trailblazer' early on. He curiously decided to go for a guillotine choke on the submission expert and went to his back, only for the Brazilian to easily pop his head free.
From there, though, Holland began to talk trash - before suddenly rearing up, from his back, and nailing Jacare with a right hand.
Remarkably, the Brazilian was stunned, and 'The Trailblazer' continued to hammer him with punches until he went limp, forcing the referee to step in.
It was a truly unique finish, one of just a handful in UFC history to see a fighter win with strikes from the bottom, and it also marked Holland's fifth win in 2020, too - a promotional record. Four years later, it remains his signature finish.
#3. Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes - UFC 269
This weekend will see Julianna Pena challenge for the bantamweight title against current champ Raquel Pennington. The last time 'The Venezuelan Vixen' challenged for the gold, she pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Not only did Pena unseat longtime champ Amanda Nunes - the consensus greatest female fighter in MMA history - but she also did it in incredible fashion, finishing her in the second round of their 2021 clash.
The first round could not have gone much worse for the TUF 18 champion. Nunes dominated her, dropping her with a right hand and then beating her down from the top.
Pena survived, though, and turned the tables in the second round by drawing 'The Lioness' into a brawl. Despite taking plenty of heavy shots, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' managed to land a number of her own, and suddenly, it was Nunes on the defensive.
More punches from Pena continued to back the champion up, and when one combination appeared to hurt her, the challenger wasted no time. She managed to take Nunes down, and when 'The Lioness' gave her back, she sunk in a tight rear naked choke.
Moments later, Nunes tapped out, and 'The Venezuelan Vixen' had remarkably done the impossible.
Pena ended up losing the title right back to Nunes in their rematch but will get a second bite of the apple this weekend. Win in this fashion, and she'll become only the second two-time bantamweight champion in UFC history - and should go down as a legend.
#2. Khalil Rountree Jr vs. Anthony Smith - UFC Fight Night 233
This weekend will see Khalil Rountree Jr attempt to shock the world when he faces Alex Pereira for the light-heavyweight title.
'The War Horse' will come into the fight as a sizeable underdog. He has not fought since last December and has arguably never beaten an elite-level fighter during his eight-year UFC career.
However, what Rountree does have is plenty of crazy knockout power. He's demonstrated this on numerous occasions over the years, with a total of seven knockouts to his name in the octagon.
His signature win, though, would have to be his most recent victory over former title challenger Anthony Smith. It was a knockout so vicious that Smith was left discombobulated, stumbling around like a drunk before finally collapsing.
Rountree probably had a slight edge through the first two rounds, but in the third, he landed a shot that really counted.
Countering a low kick from 'Lionheart', 'The War Horse' cracked his foe with a short right uppercut and a brutal left hook to the temple.
Smith staggered backward, legs completely gone, and then slumped to the ground, and Rountree - ever the sportsman - refused to follow up, knowing that his work was done.
It was a truly scary knockout, with Smith taking some time to recover after the bout had been called off. Rountree feels unlikely to land such a shot against Pereira this weekend, but if he does, we could see a new champion crowned.
#1. Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka - UFC 303
In many ways, Alex Pereira's entire UFC career is a highlight reel. From his octagon debut, which saw him dispatch Andreas Michailidis with a flying knee, to his signature left hook knockout of Sean Strickland, 'Poatan' has provided plenty of fireworks.
It's arguable, though, that Pereira's best finish came in his latest fight, against former 205-pound titleholder Jiri Prochazka this summer.
This finish was remarkable, primarily because it was essentially two knockouts in one. Pereira basically rendered 'BJP' out of the fight in the first round, only for the Czech to be saved by the buzzer.
Unsurprisingly, Prochazka then found himself flatlined for good in the opening moments of the second round.
The first knockdown, of course, came from the signature left hook of 'Poatan'. After a relatively competitive stanza, Prochazka basically charged headlong into the lethal shot, which dropped him and essentially knocked him out there and then.
The Czech was helped back to his corner, though, and managed to come out for the second. Moments later, he probably wished he hadn't, as 'Poatan' nearly beheaded him with a brutal left head kick.
Given he'd made his name with his fists, to see Pereira unleash a Cro Cop-style head kick should've been surprising - but for a striker as skilled as the Brazilian, it honestly didn't feel that way. Will this walking highlight reel strike again this weekend? By all metrics, it feels likely.