"I can not think of a more dangerous matchup" - UFC veteran labels Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree's UFC 307 clash as "disaster"
UFC veteran Chael Sonnen believes Alex Pereira will face the most dangerous opponent of his career when he steps into the octagon against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307.
'Poatan' is set to defend his light heavyweight title against 'The War Horse' in the main event at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, this weekend. Both men have promised to put on a striking clinic, with Rountree Jr. even going a step further by stating he's not planning on using any wrestling or grappling.
Ahead of their bout, Sonnen recently uploaded a video to his Instagram where he shared his thoughts on the fight. 'The American Gangster' opted to go against the consensus that Pereira had been handed a relatively easier fight with Rountree Jr. rather than facing No.2-ranked Magomed Ankalaev. According to Sonnen, the American is a far bigger threat to the Brazilian than some may think.
"What a disaster of a matchup. To act as though you're going to keep Alex Pereira away from Ankalaev, the other side of that coin is you're giving him Rountree as a way of protecting him. Oh my goodness. I can not think of a more dangerous matchup [for Pereira]. Khalil Rountree can lose every single second of this fight but one and leave there with the title. This guy's won five in a row, four by finish. There's no question that Rountree is great and I'll just remind you he does his best work when somebody's coming after him with attacks of punches and kicks."
Check out Sonnen's comments here:
Dana White is not keen on Alex Pereira potentially competing in boxing
Dana White has revealed he's not interested in seeing Alex Pereira compete in boxing bouts in the future.
Pereira has been a dominant force in the UFC since making his debut in 2021, winning titles in two weight classes and earning multiple performance bonuses. Due to his form, 'Poatan' has regularly expressed a desire to test himself wherever possible, with the Brazilian recently stating he'd be interested in featuring in Dana White's upcoming boxing promotion.
The UFC CEO then discussed Pereira's future during a recent interview with Kevin Iole, stating he's not keen on having his MMA stars cross over into his new boxing venture.
“I don’t know, I’m not even thinking about that kind of stuff. I’m not thinking about cross-over fights, I hate cross-over fights. I respect the fact that [Alex Pereira] wants to do it… But I want everybody to stay in their own lane.”
Check out Dana White's comments below (13:09):