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Alex Pereira could break Ronda Rousey's championship record with a win this weekend at UFC 307

Alex “Poatan” Pereira is undoubtedly one of the biggest superstars in all of MMA; and the Brazilian kickboxer could add even more gold to his mantel this weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.

But aside from retaining his shiny 205-pound belt and securing 2024 Fighter of the Year honors, there's actually an all-time record that “Poatan” could also break this weekend – a record currently held by the legendary Ronda Rousey is held.

Ronda Rousey celebrates her UFC bantamweight title over Liz Carmouche at the Honda Center on February 23, 2013 in Anaheim, California.
Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Alex Pereira is closing in on Ronda Rousey's all-time UFC championship record

The main event of UFC 307 this weekend in Utah will be Alex Pereira's third title fight of the year; Having already defeated Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka via vicious knockouts in the first and second rounds respectively.

While veteran Khalil Rountree Jr. will indeed test the Brazilian, there is some expectation that it is a matter of “when” and not “if” that Pereira will score another knockout victory.

Should Pereira manage to tame “The War Horse” in the heights of Salt Lake City, he will actually break Ronda Rousey's record for shortest time between three world title defenses – a feat he will surpass by exactly two weeks.

  • Alex Pereira: 175 days – UFC 300, UFC 303 and UFC 307
  • Ronda Rousey: 189 days – UFC 168, UFC 170 and UFC 175
  • Tito Ortiz: 195 days – UFC 29, UFC 30 and UFC 32
  • Jon Jones: 210 Days – UFC 135, UFC 140 and UFC 145

It is well known that Rousey won all three of those title fights in devastating fashion: a third-round submission against Miesha Tate, followed by back-to-back knockouts against Sara McMann and Alexis Davis.

A win over Rountree would also make Alex Pereira become just the seventh UFC fighter to record three successful title defenses in a single calendar year, joining the likes of Kamaru Usman and Demetrious Johnson, the two most recent additions to this particular pool of prizefighters .

Considering it's already October, Pereira is unlikely to achieve that four-on-four result in 2024; However, his next title challenger could come much sooner than many expect.

Dana White confirms Alex Pereira's next opponent should he win at UFC 307

While Alex Pereira's focus remains firmly on “The War Horse,” UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that should Poatan emerge from Salt Lake City as champion, his next challenger has already been confirmed behind closed doors.

Speaking to veteran reporter Kevin Iole, White said that if Pereira does indeed win this weekend, his next opponent will be Magomed Ankalaev – as long as the 19-1-1 Russian juggernaut also survives his own upcoming fight.

“I don’t remember exactly when it happened, but we didn’t argue; When we brought Khalil Rountree into the fight, Ankalaev already had a fight [booked].

“Listen, Ankalaev is number two. If he goes out and has an incredible performance and Alex is still the champion, then he’s next.”

Ankalaev is currently booked to fight Aleksandar Rakic ​​on the main card of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for October 26, just weeks after Pereira vs. Rountree.

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