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LIVE: UFC 307 press conference video updates! Tune in TONIGHT (Thurs., Oct. 3, 2024) at 7 p.m. ET in the embedded video above to watch the Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.-led media extravaganza in “The Beehive State,” held just two days in advance of the upcoming UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Sat. night (Oct. 5) at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Emceed by UFC CEO Dana White, the UFC 307 press conference is expected to feature a bevy of main card attractions, including Raquel Pennington, Julianna Pena, Jose Aldo, and Kayla Harrison, among others. Remember too that we’ll have all the corresponding staredowns and face offs posted right here on MMAmania.com just as soon as today’s UFC 307 presser concludes.

“Everything that could be wrong for Pereira in terms of the commonalities that everyone has ever been upset has faced,” former middleweight title challenger, Chael Sonnen, said on his Good Guy-Bad Guy show with Daniel Cormier. “Finding yourself in a match that’s harder than the audience knows, finding yourself in a match that’s more dangerous than you’re aware, finding yourself in a match where this guy’s gonna play your game and I’m talking about the big heavy shots on the feet.”

“I’m not arguing that Khalil is cleaner or more talented of a kickboxer than Pereira, but I will argue for you Pereira can hit you one time and put you down — Khalil only has to hit him one time and Khalil will put him down,” Sonnen continued. “Every upset has a couple of commonalities. This fight, you’ve got to keep your eyes on it.”

Especially considering it may end in the blink of an eye.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 307 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Bantamweight talents Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira will square off this weekend (Sat., Oct. 5, 2024) at UFC 307 inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Harrison is very obviously the next — only? — big thing at 135 pounds. The former Judo Olympian and long-time PFL queen has lofty expectations on her formidable shoulders, but she lived up to the hype in her debut, making weight and steamrolling Holly Holm (watch highlights). Many thought that victory would earn her a title shot, but UFC has opted to bring her up more slowly, which at least creates an entertaining title eliminator here.

It feels like we’ve been waiting for a Vieira title run for some time. The Brazilian is clearly better than most of the Bantamweight pack, but she’s come up just short in a handful of competitive and important fights. All the same, turning away Harrison would be huge, and she has won three of her last four.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Photo by George Tewkesbury/PA Images via Getty Images

Harrison vs. Vieira Betting Odds

• Kayla Harrison victory: -1000
• Kayla Harrison via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Kayla Harrison via submission: TBD
• Kayla Harrison via decision: TBD
• Ketlen Vieira victory: +650
• Ketlen Vieira via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Ketlen Vieira via submission: TBD
• Ketlen Vieira via decision: TBD
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Harrison Wins

Kayla Harrison is an absolute powerhouse. Her Judo is the very definition of world-class, but she also deserves credit for developing the rest of her game. American Top Team has taught her enough wrestling and striking fundamentals to really mix it up in a smart manner, and that physicality is always a huge edge.

I’m not sure I see any reason why Harrison has to divert from the usual strategy here. Vieira has solid Judo and strength herself, but obviously Harrison has her outmatched in both regards. If Harrison wants a clinch takedown, she probably gets it within a handful of seconds. Yana Kunitskaya controlled Vieira in the clinch, after all.

It’s also not like Vieira is a particularly mobile striker or huge hitter. Harrison just has to control top position and manage her gas tank, and she’s likely to dominate at the very least.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Vieira Wins

Vieira is a fairly well-rounded contender. Her kickboxing is rugged and effective, and she does have plenty of experience in both jiu-jitsu and Judo. As the massive underdog here, however, her game plan is going to have to be a little more complex than the usual approach.

Vieira’s jab reads like her most important weapon here. I’m reminded of one of her best wins, which involved bloodying up Miesha Tate with the jab while denying takedown attempts. Harrison is a different animal entirely, but the core idea remains the same: it’s hard to wrestle effectively when on the back foot getting one’s nose smashed in.

In addition, we have seen Harrison slow down over the course of a grueling fight with a physically strong opponent in Larissa Pacheco … and that was without a draining weight cut all the way to 135-pounds. There’s a real chance that if Vieira makes the fight continually difficult for Harrison — meaning active jabs, body shots, hard-nosed clinch wrestling and getups on the floor — that Harrison will fatigue even in a three-round fight.

Nobody is that good when they’re dead tired.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Harrison vs. Vieira Prediction

There’s not enough here for me to pull the trigger on such a massive underdog.

Vieira is an interesting task for Harrison, and I’d give her a better chance than 10-1 … but not by a huge amount. She’s been controlled too often by lesser fighters than Harrison to back with any sort of confidence. It’s just a lot more likely that the Judo Olympic gold medalist scores takedowns and rides out this victory from top position to score her first UFC title shot.

Prediction: Harrison via decision

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Kevin Holland’s approach to UFC competition is different than most. Though “Trailblazer” has certainly put his best foot forward in two separate divisions, he’s never seemed overly heartbroken that a title run has yet to materialize after 22 bouts inside the Octagon. Instead, Holland has been plenty content to cash checks in two divisions, jumping on short-notice fights in two separate weight classes to set various UFC records for overall activity.

He’s very much the modern day Donald Cerrone in terms of activity, and picking up eight post-fight bonuses in the process doesn’t hurt his finances. Holland’s anyone, any time style is certainly lucrative, and it has him feeling less than sympathetic towards fighters who only compete once or twice a year then struggle to make ends meet.

“Half these people are running around talking about, ‘We don’t get paid enough. We don’t get paid enough. We don’t get paid enough.’ You don’t fight enough,” Holland said (via MMA Junkie). “At the end of the day, you want to get paid for sh*t you don’t do. F*cking sound like a bum to me. Just remember, I wasn’t the bum like the rest of these guys.”

He continued, “I had real jobs before this so I understand activity. I understand going to work so I can pay my bills and I’ve got a lot of bills. Respect to Alex [Pereira]. Alex has done this and gotten the belt and stayed active. Lot of missions and they’re all successful missions. Me? I’m just active.”

Holland’s iron man strategy to fighting is admirable, and it’s true that a lot of fighters wouldn’t be up for the task of jumping weight classes on short-notice. However, it’s equally true that many don’t receive the opportunity. The UFC roster is massive, and the promotion only holds so many events and so many fights each year. Most athletes are lucky to fight twice in a year and can end up waiting for months on the sidelines in the hopes of getting an offer.

If there’s no opening, there’s no getting paid.

Ultimately, Holland returns to action this weekend (Oct. 5, 2024), opening the main card of UFC 307 at 185-pounds opposite Roman Dolidze. It’s his second Middleweight bout this year, and victory would likely return him to the official UFC rankings.

Insomnia

There was no need for this middle man, just splash him with the bottle.

This is an absolute d—k move, but an active fistfight is the perfect place for such a thing!

Interesting phrasing from “The Dream.”

Oh yeah, I’m ready to watch Carlos Prates fight again!

Speaking of the Fighting Nerds, Mauricio Ruffy is looking fast and violent on pads. That said, his absolute refusal to ever raise his non-punching arm to his chin is at least a bit concerning …

A short bit of wrestling between Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan:

If the tweet didn’t include the word “Merab,” I wouldn’t have any idea who’s being referenced here.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

A Kevin Lee resurgence would be the story of the decade.

The worst dead leg of all time?

Through the guard:

Random Land

Not the time for contemplation …

Midnight Music: Indie, 1997

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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Beef squashed!

Khalil Rountree Jr. competes in his first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) main at UFC 307 this weekend (Sat., Oct. 5, 2024) as he tries to slay Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira from inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Pereira brought in former UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland for his training camp to help prepare for Rountree Jr. At UFC 307 media day (watch here), Rountree Jr. was asked about Pereira’s decision to bring in someone he had past beef with, and he revealed that Strickland actually apologized for their problems in the past.

“Yeah. I mean, I saw it, and I was, like, cool,” Rountree Jr. told the media. “Honestly, the last interaction that I had with Sean Strickland was at the UFC P.I. It was literally the day after Dan Ige stepped in for that fight on like three hours, four hours notice, or something like that… Out of the blue, Sean Strickland came up to me. He approached me, and he just said, like, ‘Khalil, I apologize, I’m a dumbass. I actually kind of like you. I think you’re liberal, but, you know, but overall, I like you, or I respect you,’ something along those lines.

“So what I took it as is, almost like squashing whatever beef, you know what I mean, or just saying, like, ‘Look dude, I am who I am. I’m gonna say what I’m gonna say, but I’m coming here to personally shake your hand, tell you I think you’re a liberal, but you know, to a certain level, I respect you.’ You know what I mean? It was like that. So I took it as like, okay, you’re coming here to kind of make the peace. I left it at that. So now, anything moving forward, like anything that’s said, or whatever, I got that sort of my memory bank, so I know that there’s really no issue. It’s really just talk, and I won’t concern myself with it,” Rountree Jr concluded.

Strickland completely snapped on Rountree Jr. in 2022 after “War Horse” cried during his post-fight interview and has insulted him for the past two years whenever given a chance.

On the other hand, Rountree completely no-sold the beef and ignored him, even acting like he didn’t know who he was.

Thankfully, this uncomfortable beef is over for now (until Strickland snaps again).

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Israel Adesanya usually picks against Alex Pereira.

In fact, “The Last Stylebender” has even gone so far as to channel shaman spirits in hopes of cursing his longtime rival, who despite Adesanya’s best efforts, continues to knock out every opponent the promotion stands in front of him.

Perhaps reverse psychology will help break some of those curses.

“Just off the cuff, I’ll go Pereira because [of] momentum right now,” Adesanya said on The Adam Carolla Show. “Rountree doesn’t grapple. He likes to kickbox, he’s never gone for a takedown. If you’re going to do that with Pereira … and I’m the only one who has ever rocked him, or stood with him in the UFC, everyone else, he’s washed. Rountree, I feel like, if he can make it dirty and catch him, he can catch him. But it’s so hard to do with Pereira because, Rountree, his reach might not be able to get to him.”

Pereira defends his 205-pound title against Khalil Rountree Jr. atop the UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for this Sat. night (Oct. 5, 2024) inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their five-round headliner is unlikely to feature any grappling (because of this).

“I’m going to go Pereira, and I’m going to go TKO or KO,” Adesanya said. “I don’t know what round, but I just feel like it’ll be hard for Rountree to get past that frame. [I can see] leg kicks, leg kicks [from Pereira], and he might catch Rountree as he comes in. Because Rountree is going to be attacking him. Paper can’t fight paper, so that’s why you’ve got to fight. But it’s a good fight and I think, again, Pereira by Round 2 or Round 3. But if Rountree does it, f*cking ridiculous.”

Pereira remains the odds-on betting favorite.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 307 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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LIVE: Check out the UFC 307 media day video stream TODAY (Weds., Oct. 3, 2024) at 1 p.m. ET in the embedded video above to watch the Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.-led media extravaganza in “The Beehive State,” held in advance of the upcoming UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) on Sat. night (Oct. 5) at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Today’s UFC 307 media day is also expected to feature a bevy of main card attractions, including Raquel Pennington, Julianna Pena, Jose Aldo, Mario Bautista, Kayla Harrison, and Ketlen Vieira, among others.

Check out the complete UFC 307 media day lineup below:

Jeff Robbins – President & CEO, Utah Sports Commission
Alex Pereira – UFC light heavyweight champion
Khalil Rountree Jr. – No. 8 UFC light heavyweight
Raquel Pennington – UFC women’s bantamweight champion
Julianna Pena – No. 1 UFC women’s bantamweight
Jose Aldo – No. 10 UFC bantamweight
Mario Bautista – No. 11 UFC bantamweight
Ketlen Vieira – No. 2 UFC women’s bantamweight
Kayla Harrison – No. 3 UFC women’s bantamweight
Roman Dolidze – No. 10 UFC middleweight
Kevin Holland – UFC middleweight
Stephen Thompson – No. 9 UFC welterweight
Joaquin Buckley – No. 11 UFC welterweight
Carla Esparza – UFC women’s strawweight
Tecia Pennington – UFC women’s strawweight

UFC 307 media day lineup subject to change.

“I’m going to shock everybody here. I think you are wrong why you are saying that everyone stands and strikes with (Pereira) and they lose? I think Khalil Rountree shocks the world – shocks the world,” former UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, said on his Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo. “Crazy things happen in Utah, and look at our champions right now. Khalil Rountree is extremely explosive, extremely powerful, his muay Thai is incredible. When he’s launching them, he’s going to find your face.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 307 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Torrez Finney might just be the biggest story of Contenders Series 2024.

The 25-year-old “Punisher” appeared on Contenders Series for the first time in October 2023, picking up a rear naked choke win but failing to score a contract from UFC CEO Dana White. After picking up another win on the regional scene, Finney picked up his second Octagon victory a few weeks ago in August, but White heavily critiqued his performance and questioned his dedication.

Finney argued his case against White’s “flawed logic” well, revealing the circumstances behind his inactivity. In response, White booked him on Contenders Series for a third time, pitting him against Abdellah Er-Ramy earlier on Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2024). In yet another strong performance, Finney was able to use his wrestling to pound out Er-Ramy towards the end of the fight round.

Check out the highlight clip below:

After the win, Finney’s detractor White acknowledged his performance and finish. Given he made Contender Series history as the first fighter to rack up 3-0 wins on the show, it was only appropriate that Finney finally scored a UFC contract.

“My boy Torrez,” White began. “Listen to me kid. You, Uncle Snoop, Aunt Didi, Coach Larry, Uncle BayBay, Mom and Dad — none of you can disagree with me. You brought a different energy tonight than you did the last two fights. That’s how ya do it! Get over here, welcome to the UFC!”

Now 10-0 as a professional, Finney should be expected to make his official UFC debut either late this year or in the first quarter of 2025. How high do you think “Punisher” can climb at 185 pounds?

Insomnia

In the end, Bryan Battle won over the crowd too.

Teofimo Lopez can always be counted upon for a funny quote.

New rules are coming in one month! How long until we see the first UFC fighter get legally smoked by a knee despite one hand being on the canvas?

This reminds me: now that Demetrious Johnson is retired, we need to see what his secret “Mouse Trap” move is/was!

Light sparring between elite strikers.

Good luck outrunning Michael Bisping even after all his surgeries. The champion put in his roadwork!

The most kickboxing headline of all time.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Threw that left hook from his back pocket …

A cool move that you see sometimes in collegiate wrestling or BJJ but rarely in MMA. Jon Jones did it to Ryan Bader though!

A-Frame on the floor into grounded knees — nasty!

Random Land

Quite the cave.

Midnight Music: Folk rock, 1967

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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“Eat what you kill!” — Dana White

Fake news!

Francis Ngannou will make his highly anticipated return to mixed martial arts (MMA) later this month (Oct. 19, 2024) against Brazilian giant, Renan Ferreira, headlining PFL Super Fights: “Battle of the Giants,” which will take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight champion will take a break from boxing after getting knocked out by Anthony Joshua earlier this year (watch highlights).

UFC CEO, Dana White, was asked about his former Heavyweight champion’s foray into professional boxing and the massive “life changing” multi-million paydays he has earned, comparing it to if he had stayed with UFC.

“That’s not necessarily true,” White told Kevin Iole. “It’s not really true. That’s the bulls—t that the public believes, but that’s not the truth. Total bulls—t. That’s that whole myth that makes everyone go, ‘ahh, lets f—king go to boxing’. It’s f—king bulls—t. Boxing don’t work. Boxing doesn’t f—king work … it takes a f—king Saudi trillionaire to make boxing work.”

According to Forbes, Ngannou banked a $ 10 million payday for his controversial bout with Tyson Fury back in Oct. 2023 and a $ 20 million purse for Joshua just a few months ago.

For what it’s worth, White has been on record saying Ngannou would have been the highest-paid Heavyweight of all time if he had stayed in UFC. “The Predator” revealed he made $ 600,000 for his final UFC fight.

Impossible!

To checkout the latest PFL-related news and notes click here.

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Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena, has been working overtime to discredit former PFL titleholder, Kayla Harrison, as a legitimate title contender. Part of that protracted smear campaign includes accusations of steroid abuse.

Maybe it’s just one of many excuses to downplay an “inevitable” ass whooping.

“I think that Julianna, if she wins this fight against Raquel, is probably going to try and be inactive and push to have Amanda come back,” Harrison told CBS Sports. “She’s trying to avoid the inevitable. I wouldn’t want to fight me either, I get it. She’s calling out Amanda, she’s saying I’m on steroids.”

Nunes retired last June, citing nerve damage in her legs.

Pena, 35, challenges Raquel Pennington for the bantamweight belt in the UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event this weekend in Salt Lake City, not long after Harrison locks horns with Brazilian bruiser Ketlen Vieira — a battle that is likely to determine the next 135-pound title challenger.

Harrison is the odds-on betting favorite for UFC 307.

“Julianna doesn’t have a win over someone in the Top 15 right now,” Harrison continued. “What has she been doing? She’s had two years off, coming off a loss. Now she’s going to fight for the title, she’s been blessed with this gift. Her time is coming, and more importantly my time is coming. I’ll be prepared for when it does, and I hope she is too.”

Pena has not competed since getting trounced by Nunes back in summer 2022.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 307 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight sluggers Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland will this weekend (Sat., Oct. 5, 2024) at UFC 307 inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

At 36 years of age and having lost two of his last three, it doesn’t feel like Dolidze is going to put it all together and challenge for the title anytime soon. At the same time, the Georgian standout is an active finisher capable of fighting ranked opposition in two divisions, so there are still plenty of interesting fights available. Similarly, Holland’s Welterweight rebirth didn’t result in a title fight. Nowadays, “Trailblazer” is more interested in kicking necks and cashing checks, which explains this fairly random return to Middleweight slugfest.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland Betting Odds

• Roman Dolidze victory: +136
• Roman Dolidze via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Roman Dolidze via submission: TBD
• Roman Dolidze via decision: TBD
• Kevin Holland victory: -162
• Kevin Holland via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Kevin Holland via submission: TBD
• Kevin Holland via decision: TBD
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Dolidze Wins

Dolidze is unintentionally a very funny fighter. On the same evening, he’ll throw the sloppiest charging hooks you’ve ever seen, shoot a sloppy takedown, then perform the most intricate jiu-jitsu sequence of the year.

I think it’s safe to say Dolidze wants this fight on the canvas. He’s got the power to compete with Holland on the feet, but his opponent is the much cleaner boxer and will have a significant speed advantage. Fortunately, Holland was a lot easier to out-muscle at 185-pounds. That’s only likely to have grown more true since he shed some weight to make the Welterweight limit.

The focus here should be on corralling Holland to the fence using hooks and footwork. When Holland’s back foot has nowhere to go, Dolidze can look to change levels and get physical in the clinch. This is a match up of former Light Heavyweight vs. recent Welterweight, so there’s every chance that “The Caucasian” can simply overpower his opponent and dominate from top position.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Holland Wins

I think Holland might actually be a better 185-pounder than Welterweight. In either division, his game — which consists mostly of the 1-2, random kicks, and nasty clinch work — is a little too shallow for the division’s elite. At Middleweight, however, he’s dealing with a bunch of slower, tired opponents who are less likely to be any good at wrestling.

That’s worth a size disadvantage!

Holland is going to be much faster than Dolidze, and his 1-2 stings everybody it touches, even very durable opposition like Marvin Vettori. Footwork will be key for him, as being able to move freely around the cage and stick those straight punches will be a priority. I’d also like to see Holland really aggressive with strikes when Dolidze pursues the clinch. He’s positively nasty with his elbows and knees from close quarters, and those shots could really convince Dolidze to avoid further takedown attempts.

If these two trade for three rounds, there’s little doubt who comes out on top.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Dolidze Vs. Holland Prediction

I think the betting odds are right on the money here. Though both men have clear avenues to victory, I favor Holland to successfully keep this standing by a small amount.

Obviously, it would be a big problem for “Trailblazer” to end up stuck on bottom, and we saw that happen against Marvin Vettori and Derek Brunson. Since then, however, there have been noticeable improvements to his defensive wrestling. In addition, Dolidze just isn’t that consistent of an offensive wrestler. The best fighters he’s successfully wrestled in the Octagon are … Laureano Staropoli? John Allan?

Holland (likely) has what it takes to keep this one standing, and his right hand isn’t going to miss.

Prediction: Holland via decision

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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