UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has been the talk of the town for a few weeks, but this time not for his knockout performance. Instead, it’s because of the announcement of his upcoming fight against Khalil Rountree Jr. Critics have continually targeted him, accusing him of dodging ranked #2 contender Magomed Ankalaev, who was considered the most worthy opponent for the champion. However, with Dana White‘s announcement, fans missed the opportunity to witness a top-notch fight between a striker and a grappler. Recently, Alex Pereira came forward to clear his name, revealing in a video that he was also unaware of Rountree Jr. as his opponent.

Earlier this month, Dana White faced criticism from fans for his apparent focus on UFC 306 and UFC 308, leaving the future of UFC 307 uncertain. At the time, the fight was not announced, leading fans to blame White for neglecting the Utah card. The CEO then surprised everyone by announcing the Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree Jr. title fight for UFC 307 in October, hoping to excite fans with Pereira’s return.

However, the announcement was met with criticism, as fans questioned why Pereira was matched with a lower-ranked opponent. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Pereira addressed the issue, saying, ” I was also a bit surprised when they offered him; I honestly thought it would be Ankalaev. But I’m here to fight. A lot of people say he is 8th ranked—I don’t know—but they are saying it messed up the UFC ranking a lot.”

This upcoming fight against Khalil Rountree Jr. will be Alex Pereira’s third of the current year, making him the most active fighter in the promotion. Since his UFC debut, Pereira has impressed everyone, but his superstar status was solidified when he replaced Conor Mcgregor at UFC 303. The champion stepped in on short notice after the McGregor-Chandler fight at UFC 303 was canceled because of McGregor’s pinky toe injury.

Ahead of the upcoming fight, some fans and critics may question Dana White’s decision to match Alex Pereira with a less-ranked opponent. However, a UFC veteran recently disagreed on his podcast, expressing support for Khalil Rountree Jr. and issuing a warning against underestimating him.

UFC veteran backs Rountree Jr. over Pereira

Khalil Rountree Jr. is a respected figure in the MMA world. Despite his current ranking of #8 in the UFC, his MMA experience surpasses Pereira’s, who transitioned to MMA from kickboxing after leaving Glory. Rountree Jr. has been dedicated to MMA since his 2015 debut, which led him to the UFC where he faced and defeated notable light heavyweight contenders like Paul Craig and Daniel Jolly.

Based on these facts, former UFC star Chael Sonnen shared a shocking prediction about the Khalil Rountree-Alex Pereira fight on his latest podcast, ‘Good Guy/ Bad Guy,’ with co-host Daniel Cormier. He said, “Let me give you the hot take of the day: Khalil Rountree is going to walk through Pereira. Well, Khalil was from SmackDown; he came from the other show. He’s been fighting on the Fight Nights and at the Apex and things like that. He’s still won six in a row, and he stopped five of those sons of guns.”

What’s your take on Alex Pereira’s statements? Let us know in the comments below.