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Daniel Cormier recently weighed in on why he feels Alex Pereira could be on the brink of an unexpected upset at UFC 307. 'Poatan' is slated to defend his UFC light heavyweight title this weekend, facing off against Khalil Rountree Jr. at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
UFC 307 will mark Pereira's third title defense this year, and he enters the bout as a heavy favorite against 'The War Horse', who is making his first bid for UFC gold despite not having the number-one contender spot.
During a recent episode of Funky and the Champ, Cormier pointed out the track record of notable upsets in title fights that have occurred in Utah and cautioned 'Poatan' against overlooking Rountree Jr.:
"If there’s anything to be said about Salt Lake City, upsets happen. And it would seem that a guy who’s ranked No. 8 in the world, taking on the champion is a blueprint for an upset because, in those moments, the champ may overlook him.
"I don’t know if Pereira will do that, but those are the times they call them trap games in football. This feels like a trap game for Alex Pereira. And if he ain’t ready, it seems like Khalil Rountree, with his power, can knock him out."
Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (27:27):
Pereira remains undefeated in the 205-pound division, coming off a second-round knockout victory over former champion Jiri Prochazka in their rematch at UFC 303 this past June. Meanwhile, Rountree Jr. is returning from a 4.5-month suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs in May and is currently on a five-fight win streak.
Alex Pereira did not foresee title defense against Khalil Rountree Jr. but feels 'The War Horse' has earned it
During the media day for UFC 307 on Wednesday (via MMA Junkie), Alex Pereira acknowledged that he had not expected to defend his title against the No. 8-ranked Khalil Rountree Jr.:
"No, I did not envision that. I think in his previous fight, he mentioned my name, but he was far behind in the ranks, so it didn’t come to mind, but you have to prepare for him."
However, 'Poatan,' while emphasizing Rountree Jr.'s recent performances, further asserted that he genuinely deserves the title shot:
"He does deserve it. The same happened with me. He kind of jumped on the rankings, but it is due to the work that he puts in. I put the work like that too, keep beating some guys, and then the opportunity presents itself."
Check out Alex Pereira's comments below (2:28):
