Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
This fight is the final bout of the prelims and it promises fireworks as Stephen Thompson faces Joaquin Buckley in what promises to be one of the best fighters of UFC 307
STEPHEN THOMPSON VS JOAQUIN BUCKLEY FACTS
When is UFC 307? UK – the extra preliminary card starts at 11:00pm on Saturday October 5th, 2024, followed by the preliminary card at 1:00am and the main card at 3:00am / USA – 6:00pm/8:00pm/10:00pm ET and 3:00pm/5:00pm/7:00pm PT
What time are Stephen Thompson and Joaquin Buckley expected to walk out? The approximate walk out time for this fight is 2:20am UK, 9:20pm ET, 6:20pm PT
Where is UFC 307? Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Where can I get tickets for UFC 307? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 307
What TV channel is UFC 307 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 307? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+, while the early prelims can be streamed on UFC Fight Pass / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
For viewers in the United States, UFC 307 will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
UFC 307 MAIN CARD EVENT
Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree Jr. (Light Heavyweight)
Raquel Pennington vs Julianna Peña (Women’s Bantamweight)
José Aldo vs Mario Bautista (Bantamweight)
Ketlen Vieira vs Kayla Harrison (Women’s Bantamweight)
Roman Dolidze vs Kevin Holland (Middleweight)
UFC 307 Prelims
Stephen Thompson vs Joaquin Buckley (Welterweight)
Marina Rodriguez vs Iasmin Lucindo (Women’s Strawweight)
César Almeida vs Ihor Potieria (Middleweight)
Austin Hubbard vs Alexander Hernandez (Lightweight)
Ryan Spann vs Ovince Saint Preux (Light Heavyweight)
Carla Esparza vs Tecia Pennington (Women’s Strawweight)
Court McGee vs Tim Means (Welterweight)
STEPHEN THOMPSON: WONDERBOY RETURNS TO ACTION AFTER SUBMISSION LOSS
Stepen Wonderboy Thompson (17-7-1) returns to action and comes off a submission loss at the hands of Shavkat Rakhmonov in his last fight. His Kazak opponent got the rear-naked choke in the second round after he sought to avoid Thompson’s stand-up power and he got the stoppage at UFC 296. Thompson returns here and the 41-year-old will be keen to respond with a win after losing three of his last four.
JOAQUIN BUCKLEY: FOUR-FIGHT WIN STREAK ON THE LINE HERE
Joaquin Buckley (19-6) is bringing a four-fight win streak into this bout and the 30-year-old was desperate to make this fight with Thompson. He comes off a unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev and he will be full of confidence that he can overwhelm Thompson although it will be interesting to see how keen he is to stand with such a striker like Wonderboy.
STEPHEN THOMPSON VS JOAQUIN BUCKLEY PREDICTION
Joaquin Buckley is on something of a tear in the UFC right now with his four wins in a row and two of those coming via knockout. His confidence is clearly high after he requested this fight and that is a brave move. For somebody who has suffered four knockout losses, selecting a striker such as Thompson is ballsy to say the least.
This has the hallmarks for an explosive fight but while both will want to stand up initially at least, neither have been stopping people as often as they would like - especially Thompson. Buckley has won 13 of his 19 fights via knockout himself and it will be interesting to see if he really wants to trade with Thompson.
Our concerns over Thompson is how quickly father time is catching up him. He has unquestionably been one of the elite strikers in the division but that has not been as evident in his fights in recent years. The fight with Kevin Holland saw him win by TKO after the corner stopped that fight but that is his only KO/TKO win since he beat Johny Hendricks in 2016.
Buckley may just be too young and energetic for him at this stage of his career. We are not completely buying into Buckley despite his good form, but we think he has enough to get the W.
PREDICTION: JOAQUIN BUCKLEY TO WIN