Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is a big favorite heading into his title defense against Rountree (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), which headlines Saturday’s UFC 307 event at Delta Center in Salt Lake City (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+).
With the likes of Magomed Ankalaev at the top of the light heavyweight ladder, many questioned Rountree getting the title shot. Cormier said crazy things have happened during UFC events in Utah and warns Pereira not to underestimate Rountree.
“That’s a big fight, but to play the devil’s advocate, in Utah, we have now seen Kamaru Usman dominating Leon Edwards, get knocked out at the very end and Edwards becoming champ,” Cormier said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Ben Askren. “We’ve also seen Dustin Poirier, who had beaten Justin Gaethje, knocked out, and Justin Gaethje become the BMF champion. So, if there’s anything to be said about Salt Lake City, upsets happen,
Advertisement
“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.”
According to DraftKings, Pereira is a -500 favorite over Rountree, who’s a +380 underdog. Pereira has defended his light heavyweight title twice, scoring knockouts of Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
With eight international caps and playing regularly at Plymouth Argyle in the Championship before his injury, Hazard would have proven the natural deputy.
Pierce Charles, brother of midfielder Shea Charles, has put in a string of impressive performances for the Northern Ireland Under-21s this year, most especially in an away victory over Serbia in March and then when keeping a clean sheet against England last month.
O’Neill was sufficiently impressed with the 19-year-old to bring him along with the senior squad to Spain for a pair of friendlies in June. Although Charles did not win a first cap, O’Neill cited his ability on the ball as a major attribute to his game.
Advertisement
“Pierce is one of those goalkeepers that everyone is looking for in the modern game,” O’Neill said before those friendlies.
“He’s got great distribution, real composure with the ball at his feet and we know at Sheffield Wednesday they really regard him highly.”
He has, however, been on the bench at Hillsborough with England Under-21 international James Beadle having been handed the number one jersey after his arrival from Brighton and Hove Albion on a season-long loan deal.
In a similar position at his club is Luke Southwood, the 26-year-old who was on the bench against Luxembourg and Bulgaria last month in Hazard’s absence.
Advertisement
The Bolton Wanderers man, who won his sole cap in a 3-1 friendly win over Luxembourg in 2022, did start the 2-2 draw with Shrewsbury Town for his League One side last weekend but has spent the majority of the season behind Nathan Baxter.
O’Neill has consistently stressed a desire for his international players to be regularly playing at as high a level possible at their clubs.
Yet, before two important fixtures for his side, he is left with a decision between two keepers with precious few minutes in league action this season.
Northern Ireland are adjusting to life without Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, who called time on his international career last month. And the keeper who gets the nod will find their task made no easier by the absence of centre-back Dan Ballard through injury.
Advertisement
And yet should either impress in this unexpected opportunity, after Peacock-Farrell’s recent struggles for club and country, it just might give O’Neill something to think about moving towards next year’s World Cup qualifiers.
Michael Burnage, of the Save Wimbledon Stadium Action Group, told the BBC: “We all knew that it was just a matter of time. The question in our mind was not if there would be a flood on the site, but when it would happen.”
Advertisement
The Environment Agency said planning decisions were made by local authorities. Merton Council, which was responsible for the decision to approve the new stadium, said it was “sad to see the damage and disruption caused by flooding”.
Two home matches – including a League Cup tie with Newcastle United – were postponed after the pitch collapsed following the latest flood. The first match back at the ground since the flooding will be against Carlisle United on Saturday.
The previous stadium, which opened in 1928, hosted greyhound racing until its closure in 2017 – which was described at the time as a “crime against happiness” by the Racing Post.
It also hosted stock car racing and speedway events, which ceased in 2005.
Advertisement
Mr Burnage, whose group campaigned against the 2018 demolition of the stadium, said the area had flooded many times throughout its history.
Drone video shows collapsed pitch at AFC Wimbledon
He said: “Our campaign group have not been in the least surprised that the new stadium has seen such devastating flood damage.
“We have every sympathy for the staff and officials of AFC Wimbledon having to deal with the impact of this latest flood, but to say it was unpredictable is simply not true.
Advertisement
“As part of our campaign, we highlighted our years of experience on the site, recalling the countless times that the stadium and the car park were flooded.”
He said that developers, the council, City Hall and the Environment Agency were all warned about the dangers of future flooding, adding: “We are incredibly frustrated by recent events.”
More than £120,000 has been raised by the fan-owned club following the latest flooding.
Wimbledon FC left its original home at nearby Plough Lane in 1991 because legislation required all-seater stadiums.
Advertisement
Following a spell playing at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park, in 2004 the club was controversially rebranded as MK Dons after the owners moved it to Milton Keynes.
AFC Wimbledon was set up in 2002 as a non-league club, winning five promotions in nine years to rise from the depths of the Combined Counties League to reach the Football League in 2011.
Jon Stevens, a curator of the Dons Den, which is home to many items from the previous stadium’s Speedway heyday, says “historically, it’s always flooded”.
Advertisement
He told BBC London: “It’s been well documented that it’s flooded quite substantially.
“Regarding building a brand-new stadium and it still flooding, I guess maybe something’s been overlooked.
“I don’t know why they did that: that’s the million dollar question.
“Were there enough measures in place to combat any potential flood?”
Advertisement
Aaron Paul speaks to AFC Wimbledon’s managing director James Woodroof
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “As the stadium is a brownfield redevelopment in a high-risk flood zone, its planning involved lengthy discussions, mapping and reports on how the flood risk would be managed.
“We originally objected to the proposed development due to insufficient information. Once this had been supplied, we were able to remove our objection and requested several planning conditions.”
A Merton Council spokesperson said: “The stadium is built on previously developed land with a historic risk of flooding, a risk common across many developed areas of London.
Advertisement
“Given this risk, and the increase in flash flooding caused by our changing climate, the planning proposal was, like all proposals, examined rigorously.
“The council’s planning committee and the Environment Agency sought to ensure the stadium would remain safe, that the building would not increase risk of flooding nearby, including to homes, and that damage mitigation and recovery plans were thorough and robust.
“We are working closely with the Environment Agency and AFC Wimbledon to manage the risk of flooding, and to support in the review of the club’s flooding processes.”
The word ‘irreplaceable’ has been bandied around in the last few weeks in the wake of Rodri’s season-ending injury for Manchester City.
But as the champions continue their attempts to cope without the Spain midfielder, it got us thinking – which other players would Premier League clubs most dread to lose?
We have come up with a shortlist for each club and want you to vote for your most irreplaceable player.
The three-part series airing on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Sounds tells the story of the women’s international team in Wales, from their unofficial first matches in 1973 through to the modern day when they are on the brink of reaching the finals of a major tournament for the first time.
McAllister, along with her then international team-mates Michele Adams and Karen Jones, successfully lobbied the Football Association of Wales to form an official side in 1993.
Under Jarmo Matikainen they twice came close to a play-off place for Euro 2013 and the 2015 World Cup, before his successor Jayne Ludlow took the team to the brink of the 2019 World Cup and Euro 2022 play-offs, missing out on a place in the latter on away goals scored in a head-to-head record against Northern Ireland, despite having a vastly superior goal difference.
Advertisement
Wales were then beaten in the final moments of extra time in the play-off final by Switzerland for a place in the 2023 World Cup under Gemma Grainger in their last qualifying campaign.
Grainger says qualifying for a major finals would be a landmark moment not just for women’s football in Wales, but for all female sport.
McAllister, who is now a Uefa vice-president, said: “If you look at the way in which women’s football is organised now in Uefa, we’re talking the strategy of it being a multi-billion-pound industry by 2030.
“I think this platform that we’d have by being in Switzerland next summer would be transformative really for how we run women and girls’ football in Wales.
Advertisement
“Obviously, there’d be financial returns which are very welcome for an association like us, but qualification would bring incredible attention, incredible dividends.
“We saw when England won in the last Euros just what they would be able to do to capitalise on that for school sport for girls and for club development.
“I think we’re savvy enough in Wales, we’ve got a strong enough strategy and a good enough leadership to make sure that we don’t waste that opportunity.
“For me, I think it’ll probably be the single most important historical thing to happen, maybe even in women’s sport, not just football, if we get there.”
This past Saturday, “Poatan” defended his UFC light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 307, and he did so by putting away Khalil Rountree in violent fashion. Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) has quickly become one of the biggest stars in MMA as he’s achieved plenty in and out of the octagon in less than three years in the promotion.
With five championship wins on his resume and many highlight-reel finishes, is Pereira now the face and most important fighter in the UFC? Where does he rank among the greatest in light heavyweight history?
Advertisement
MMA Junkie’s Brian Garcia, Nolan King, Mike Bohn, and host Gorgeous George discuss Pereira’s big TKO win over Rountree and take an overall look at his incredible UFC run.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel at noon ET. You can also find each episode on your favorite podcast platforms – including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more – on Tuesday mornings.
Advertisement
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login