UFC 307 is right around the corner and the hype for the event is surreal. After all, the fighting community would get to witness a battle between the light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, and the LHW #8 Khalil Rountree Jr. However, there is an issue with the event’s venue. 

Needless to say, a venue is as important as a worthy opponent for a fighter to give his best. Getting acclimatized to the geographical conditions of that area requires quite a bit of time. And the man with the hands of stone knew this pretty well. But the question that the world of mixed martial arts has been asking is how he managed to tackle those geographical problems.

Alex Pereira reveals the problems of fighting at high altitudes

Pereira will defend his light heavyweight championship title in Delta Center, at Salt Lake City, Utah. With more than 4000 ft elevation above sea level, the oxygen density at Salt Lake City is comparatively lower than that of Pereira’s homeland. This made things tough for an athlete to train, leading to an increased hunger for air and a constant feeling of breathlessness. Reflecting on this, ‘Poatan’ said, “The thing about the altitude is that it’s hard [to train].”

The last time Pereira fought in Salt Lake City was at UFC 291 when he faced Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event. To acclimatize himself, Pereira had to train for about 2 weeks before landing in the Octagon. No doubt, he is about to carry on the same drill for UFC 37. The Brazilian fighter said, “We did this once when I fought [Jan] Blachowicz. We did it for two weeks then, and three weeks now. I think it’s going to be much better.” 

On top of that, Pereira has a great team to train with. With guidance from the former UFC contender Glover Teixeira, ‘Poatan’ has achieved multiple victories in the Octagon. He went on to name a few of his teammates and then revealed that Sean Strickland would also join them in training against  Rountree. He continued, “We have a great team here. We have Glover, Plinio [Cruz], Yousri [Belgaroui], ‘Cesinha’ [Cesar Almeida]. Sean Strickland is also coming next week to train with us here. I’m very happy with this preparation.”

As the date for the event inches closer, the MMA realm started speculating on the outcome of the title fight. Surprisingly, one of Pereira’s former opponents stood in support of his victory, even though Rountree had an impressive plan to execute.

Jamahal Hill speculates on the outcome of UFC 307 main event

Talking to Aljamain Sterling on his talk show, Jamahal Hill weighed in on the fight between Khalil Rountree Jr. and Alex Pereira. Hill has personally experienced the kind of strength that the LHW champion possesses. After all, he faced a defeat by KO against the Brazilian at UFC 300. Hence, he believed that the fight between Rountree and Pereira would also end with the ‘Poatan’ knocking ‘The War Horse’ out.

Hill opined, “100% it’s [Pereira vs. Rountree is] going to be a knockout. I don’t think, Khalil don’t have a five round gas tank… And he’s gassed at paces that were much much slower than the pace that he’s going to have to fight with Alex now. Alex is going to come out slow, he’s going to come out, take his time to kind of close in and try to find his shots. That’s what Alex like to do.”

But there is one factor that can shift the tides in Rountree’s favor, his southpaw stance. Hill further explained, “If you go and actually look at his [Pereira’s] kickboxing career, that southpaw stance gives him trouble. I haven’t seen him really dominate a southpaw with multiple threats.”

Will Pereira’s precise power prevail, or will Rountree’s southpaw style upset the champion? In a sport full of surprises, the UFC 307 light heavyweight title clash promises to be a showdown where every factor—from geography to technique—will play a crucial role in determining who walks out victorious. Let us know your thoughts on this highly-anticipated match-up in the comments below!