Fight Coverage
The 10: An Onslaught of Awesomeness Awaits in October
Setting The Table For What Should Be A Fantastic Month Of Action Inside The Octagon
If you’re not excited for the month ahead, I don’t know what to tell you.
October in the Octagon features a fight card on every Saturday, with star-studded pay-per-view events bookending shows at the UFC APEX headlined by critical matchups in a pair of divisions where new names are making steady progress towards the top of those weight classes.
Order UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr.
There are 10 events left this year and these four are set to kick off the home stretch, with another quality four-pack on tap in November before a little December duo closes things out. It’s an incredible slate from now until the end of the year and my guess is that when we look back at what transpired this month, there are going to be more than a couple fights and finishes that find their way onto year-end lists.
Here’s a closer look at the fights I’m most excited about in the latest edition of The 10.
UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr. — Saturday, October 5 (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Ketlen Vieira vs Kayla Harrison
Before the bantamweight title goes up for grabs in the UFC 307 co-main event, Vieira and Harrison will do battle in a matchup that should, for all intents and purposes, determine who will be next to challenge for the title.
Vieira has been a largely successful, consistent presence in the Top 10 of the bantamweight division for the last seven-plus years, having amassed an 8-3 record over 11 fights with wins over Sara McMann, Cat Zingano, Miesha Tate, and Holly Holm. Outside of her UFC 245 loss to Irene Aldana several years ago, the Brazilian’s only other setbacks were ultra-close fights with Yana Santos and current champ Raquel Pennington, which shows that she is right there amongst the division’s elite.
UFC 307 COUNTDOWN: Full Episode | Pereira vs Rountree Jr. | Pennington vs Peña
And if we’re being honest, she deserved the nod in her fight with Santos.
After building a stellar resume outside of the UFC, Harrison finally made the move into the Octagon for the first time at UFC 300, pitching a shutout against Holm in a bout where the former champion landed just two significant strikes before getting submitted early in the second round. It was as emphatic a debut as Harrison could have delivered, answering all the questions about her ability to make weight (she came in at 136 pounds looking absolutely jacked) and to compete with the best the division has to offer, while setting her up for another big opportunity here.
Kayla Harrison Fight Week Interview | UFC 307
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Kayla Harrison Fight Week Interview | UFC 307
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Nothing is ever guaranteed, but the winner of this one will be at the head of the list of potential challengers in the 135-pound weight class going forward. This is a huge opportunity for Vieira to score a massive upset and another chance for Harrison to show that she is clearly the woman to beat at bantamweight right now, title or not, though stylistically, this one could be a little more competitive than her bout with Holm, as Vieira is far more comfortable and versed in the clinch than the stick-and-move striker.
José Aldo vs Mario Bautista
The ever-interesting bantamweight division delivers another intriguing pairing this month as Brazilian legend Jose Aldo goes in search of his second win of the year, while Mario Bautista aims to make some noise while adding to his current run of success.
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Following his loss to current champ Merab Dvalishvili in Utah two years ago, Aldo stepped away from the sport for a minute, pursuing some boxing opportunities and generally hitting the reset button, as well as being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He returned to action in May at UFC 301, showing zero signs of rust or his age (Aldo is 38 now) while out-working Jonathan Martinez to immediately establish himself as a dark horse in the division once again.
Bautista is the tip of the spear for the collection of bantamweight talents from the MMA Lab working their way forward in the division, with Kyler Phillips close behind and Marcus McGhee not too far back either. The 31-year-old posted his sixth straight victory on the opening card of the year, out-hustling Ricky Simon, and has gone 8-1 over his last nine fights, showing a well-rounded skill set, excellent conditioning, and tremendous composure.
The King of Rio is in the building 🇧🇷
— UFC (@ufc) October 1, 2024
Fight week is underway for the great @JoseAldoJunior!
[ Live on @ESPNPlus PPV | Saturday | 10pmET/7pm PT ] pic.twitter.com/zFHJzSkxJA
It’s been slow-and-steady up the divisional ladder for Bautista over the course of this winning streak, but a win over Aldo would catapult him into the thick of the Top 10 without question. As for the former featherweight champ, halting Bautista’s extended run of success after doing the same to Martinez earlier in the year would show that he’s still a genuine threat in the division and position him for something even bigger next time out.
Raquel Pennington vs Julianna Peña
Eleven years after being teammates and roommates on Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peña will finally share the Octagon with one another, with the bantamweight title hanging in the balance.
MORE UFC 307: Fight By Fight Preview | Coach Conversation: Pereira vs Rountree Jr. | Fighters On The Rise
A perpetual underdog, Pennington rose to the top of the division with a unanimous decision win over Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297 in January, leaning on her superior durability and conditioning to get the job done. The 36-year-old veteran touches down in Salt Lake City on a six-fight winning streak, and has won 11 of her last 14 fights, where the only setbacks have come against former UFC titleholders.
The last time Pena entered the Octagon, she did so as the reigning bantamweight champion at UFC 277 in Dallas. Since then, “The Venezuelan Vixen” was forced out of her trilogy bout with Amanda Nunes a year later, and stuck on the sidelines recovering from various injuries, watching as the landscape of the division shifted around her. Now the TUF 18 winner returns, looking to become just the second two-time champion in the division’s history.
This is a fascinating fight between a pair of athletes that just don’t like each other, and the fact that there is championship gold on the line only ratchets up the intrigue. Both like to work at a good clip and utilize their conditioning as a weapon, so it will be interesting to see where Pena is at in that regard after more than two years away and fighting at altitude against an opponent that lives and trains in Colorado Springs.
Will it be “And Still” or “And New” when the smoke clears in this one?
Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree Jr.
Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira makes his third appearance of the year, putting his title on the line against surging challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. in a matchup of powerhouse strikers.
RELATED: Get To Know Rountree Jr. | Pereira Career Highlights
Pereira has been tremendously active and incredibly impressive in just under three years on the UFC roster, posting an 8-1 record with title wins in two weight classes, a combined six wins over five former champions, and six finishes, including back-to-back devastating stoppage victories over Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka already this year. “Poatan” has become one of the most feared fighters on the planet and has somehow looked increasingly dangerous over each of his last three fights since making his divisional debut at Delta Center in the summer of 2023.
It took some time for Rountree to find his footing in the UFC and surround himself with the right team, but since moving back to his native Las Vegas in March 2021, the former TUF finalist is 5-0 with four vicious stoppages, plus, he politely requested the opportunity to face Pereira following his win over Anthony Smith last December and we haven’t seen anyone else publicly sharing their desire to face the champ. Jokes aside, the 34-year-old has been on an exceptional run as of late and has the power and explosiveness to make this fight with Pereira interesting.
There are dozens of possible ways this fight could play out and end, and none of them would seem far-fetched or unexpected to me, especially when you’re dealing with two individuals that carry as much power and precision with their weapons as these two do. If this is the straight up kickboxing match most anticipate, it should be tremendously entertaining and extremely tense for as long as it lasts.
UFC Fight Night: Royval vs Taira — Saturday, October 12 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Brandon Royval vs Tatsuro Taira
Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira clash in this main event meeting of top-ranked flyweights on the second fight card of the month.
After coming up short in his bid to claim the title at UFC 296, Royval returned to action in February, earning a split decision win over Brandon Moreno in Mexico City, bringing their personal series even at one win each. The Coloradan is in an interesting position, having already lost twice to the champion, Alexandre Pantoja, while posting positive results against everyone else, leaving him as the No. 1 contender, but perhaps more in need of a statement win than several others currently ranked behind him in order to challenge for the title again.
The 24-year-old Taira picked up his sixth straight UFC victory and 16th consecutive win overall in June, earning a second-round stoppage win over former title challenger Alex Perez. Though the fight was halted due to Perez suffering a knee injury, it came while Taira was locked on his back and off-balancing the California native, resulting in his toppling over awkwardly and being unable to continue.
Pantoja’s next title defense has yet to be announced — though a December assignment feels like a possibility — which means these two are set to duke it out in order to secure their place in the pecking order heading into next year. With Moreno set to return next month against Amir Albazi and Kai Kara-France coming off a tremendous effort in September, business is picking up in the 125-pound ranks, so it’s imperative for each that they collect a victory that keeps them at the top of the list of contenders heading into the final couple months of 2024.
UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs Pereira — Saturday, October 19 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Anthony Hernandez vs Michel Pereira
Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira meet in a critical battle between streaking, ascending talents in the middleweight division that closes out the October 19 fight card at the UFC APEX.
Since dropping two of his first three appearances to begin his UFC career, “Fluffy” has rattled off five straight wins, with stoppages in four of those victories, including each of his last three outings. He showed out at UFC 298 in February, dominating Roman Kopylov en route to a second-round submission win and Performance of the Night bonus, and now gets the opportunity to headline for the first time under the UFC banner.
As hot as Hernandez has been over his last five, one could make a case that Pereira is the hottest emerging talent in the division. The mercurial Brazilian debuted in the division last November with a 66-second TKO win over Andre Petroski, followed it up with a 61-second submission finish of Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 299, and rounded out his outstanding start to life in the middleweight ranks with a 54-second win over Ihor Potieria at UFC 301 in May, extending his overall winning streak to eight in the process.
With a new champ on the throne and some of the veteran talents in the division ceding ground to fresh names, this is an opportunity for Hernandez or Pereira to take a big step forward in the title chase and potentially position themselves for a Top 10 assignment next time out.
UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway — Saturday, October 26 (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Lerone Murphy vs Dan Ige
Top 15 featherweights Lerone Murphy and Dan Ige square off in what is an incredibly important matchup for each man when the action returns to Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi for UFC 308 to wrap up the month.
It feels like a lot of people don’t know or don’t remember that Murphy is unbeaten in the UFC and unbeaten overall, but the 33-year-old Brit ran his winning streak to six and his overall record to 14-0-1 earlier this year with a five-round decision win over Edson Barboza. “The Miracle” is well-rounded and athletic, and has been on the cusp of climbing the ladder in the 145-pound weight class for a number of years, with 2024 now looking like his best chance to potentially break into the Top 10.
Ige pulled a straight up gangster move at UFC 303, turning up on four hours’ notice after chilling at home to give Diego Lopes the toughest fight he’s had inside the Octagon during the course of his current winning streak. Though he landed on the wrong side of the results, the effort reinforced how game Ige is each and every time he steps into the cage, and his knockout win over Andre Fili earlier in the year stands as a reminder of how badly he can make you pay if you make a mistake in there with him.
Athlete Profiles: Lerone Murphy | Dan Ige
These two were slated to fight earlier in the year before Murphy was forced out, resulting in Ige going on to face and stop Fili. One interesting wrinkle to this fight is that Murphy is extremely comfortable fighting in Abu Dhabi, having made his first four UFC appearances in the UAE, posting wins in each of his last three appearances, while Ige came away from his one and only trip to Fight Island saddled with a unanimous decision loss.
Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakić
Magomedov Ankalaev looks to maintain his place as the top contender in the light heavyweight division as he makes his second start of the year against Aleksandar Rakic, who returns with designs on getting back into the win column and usurping the Dagestani standout’s place in the hierarchy.
Since losing his promotional debut in March 2018 in the final seconds, Ankalaev has gone 10-1 with one no contest verdict in his last dozen fights. After fighting former champ Jan Blachowicz to a draw in a battle for the vacant title at UFC 282, the 32-year-old standout engaged in a pair of contests with Johnny Walker, finishing him midway through the second round earlier this year after their first encounter was halted as a result of Ankalaev landing an illegal knee early in the first round.
Rakic was on the cusp of title contention following consecutive victories over Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos, but a blown-out knee suffered in his own fight with Blachowicz sent him to the sidelines for an extended period. He returned in April at UFC 300, suffering a second-round stoppage loss to Jiri Prochazka, and now looks to get things moving in the right direction again.
Many anticipated Ankalaev getting the next crack at Pereira after the Brazilian dispatched Prochazka for a second time in June, but it wasn’t in the cards, and now he faces a high-risk, low-reward assignment here. Will he keep his unbeaten streak intact and make himself undeniable as a title challenger or can Rakic upset the apple cart and throw his name in the ring for a shot at whoever leaves Utah with the belt around their waist?
Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev
For the second time this year, Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev are scheduled to face off inside the Octagon, with positioning in the increasingly competitive middleweight division at stake.
Whittaker has earned back-to-back wins since falling to current champ Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290, following up his unanimous decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 298 with a first-round stoppage win over Ikram Aliskerov when the intriguing prospect filled in on short notice for Chimaev earlier this year. “The Reaper” remains a championship-tier talent in the 185-pound ranks, having bested everyone he’s faced save for Du Plessis and Adesanya, while looking fresher and more focused in his two 2024 starts than he did in recent years.
Chimaev remains an intriguing enigma lingering around the title picture in the middleweight division; an unbeaten talent who tends to impress each time out, but who struggles to make it to the Octagon with any real consistency. After fighting three times in two months to begin his UFC tenure, the now 30-year-old “Borz” has logged just four appearances since, with his last fight coming just over a year ago by the time he steps into the cage with Whittaker here.
Robert Whittaker | Greatest Hits
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Robert Whittaker | Greatest Hits
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This is as captivating now as it was when these two were slated to face off in June, but Chimaev’s withdrawal from that fight leaves of cloud of uncertainty hovering over this contest. On paper, it’s a perfect final test for each man in order to affirm their championship bona fides, with Whittaker getting the chance to thwart the ascent of an undefeated rising star, and Chimaev potentially taking out the guy you’ve got to beat in order to challenge for the title.
When these two square off, it will be one of the most must-see matchups on the calendar and a crucial bout when it comes to determining the direction the 185-pound weight class will take in the year ahead.
Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway
Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria puts his title on the line for the first time against former champ and current BMF titleholder Max Holloway in the UFC 308 main event.
Topuria claimed the title in February, dealing with the constant activity and effective striking of Australian champion Alexander Volkanovski well before hemming him in along the fence and putting him down with a smashing right hand late in the second round. The win not only elevated the 27-year-old Georgian-born standout to the top of the division, but it moved him to 15-0 for his career, as well, with five finishes in his first seven UFC triumphs.
Max Holloway Knocks Out Justin Gaethje, Wins BMF Belt | UFC 300
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Max Holloway Knocks Out Justin Gaethje, Wins BMF Belt | UFC 300
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A little more than two years removed from his last title clash with Volkanovski, Holloway has posted three straight wins to land as the first challenger for the new champion. After successfully navigating featherweight pairings with Arnold Allen and Chan Sung Jung last year, “Blessed” ventured up to lightweight and claimed the BMF belt from Justin Gaethje in spectacular fashion at UFC 300, putting “The Highlight” to sleep in the center of the Octagon in the waning moments of a fight where he was clearly ahead, but nonetheless called for Gaethje to bang it out over the final 10 seconds.
Without question, this is the precise fight to make for each man at this time, and a bout that could potentially answer many of the lingering questions people have about both champion and challenger. Can Topuria follow up his thrilling win over Volkanovski by besting the former champion, who looked outstanding earlier this year, albeit up a division, or will “Blessed” prove he’s best once again and reclaim the featherweight throne for himself?
UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr., took place live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 5, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
