Rashad Evans predicts a light heavyweight title change in the UFC 307 main event.

UFC Hall of Famer former 205-pound champion Evans believes Khalil Rountree is a live underdog heading into his matchup with reigning defending champion Alex Pereira, which takes place Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+ ).

The vibe that Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and his team give off is that he’s going to play directly into Pereira’s (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) desired position by standing up and to strike. Making Evans’ vision of a win come to life, he said that can’t quite be the case.

“I think it’s on the up and up,” Evans told “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn. “It will definitely be that way on Alex’s side, but because Alex brings the challenge and Khalil has been working on his stand-up in Thailand and he’s very proud of his stand-up, I feel like he’s going to do test it. And it may be to his own detriment, but I feel like that’s where he wants to go. That’s the hill he’ll die on. So he will stand up and strike. But what I think would probably be better for him is a mix of both. Be able to strike while using your clinch and grappling positions. Not only does it suck some of that power, some of that explosiveness and some of that power out of Pereira, but it also frustrates him.

“It’s about fighting smart. If you fight smart and don’t fight with an ego, you can choose the most effective game plan for your opponent. And I feel like if Khalil is going to win this fight, I would definitely tell Alex that it’s a standout event. But I will definitely wrestle.”

Pereira enters UFC 307 at the height of his powers. He’s been a wrecking ball in the octagon, winning three championship fights since November and now trying to make all kinds of UFC history. Many were surprised when the No. 8 fighter in the official UFC rankings Rountree was selected as his opponent, and therefore expectations are low.

Evans thinks this is the perfect scenario for the soft-spoken Rountree, especially since he has shown the best version of himself in recent fights.

“Khalil slips under the radar and Khalil is secretly good,” Evans said. “People say, ‘How is he secretly good?’ It’s because I see it’s good, but as you can see there are some holes. There are some holes that can be exploited. We’ve seen holes in his game when he’s lost. So you still have the feeling that those holes are there. But I feel like the Khalil we knew made these mistakes is a different Khalil than we see now. I feel like the Khalil we have now is a much more confident Khalil. A fighter who really knows his game and has really taken the time to perfect his style. There’s a difference when you’re trying to put tools in your toolbox and try to organize which tools to use and what suits you best and the best time to use them. And I feel like Khalil is at that level right now.”

Beyond the skill element, Evans is confident in Rountree’s chances of claiming gold at UFC 307 due to a number of variables that are difficult to truly unravel. Pereira has become one of the faces of the UFC in recent years, and with that comes a lot of outside obligations and potential distractions.

When everything comes together in the perfect scenario, Evans says a wild outcome is in store.

“I’m going for the upset,” Evans said. “I feel like you start to doubt and look at all these other opportunities and the money comes easy. Who else knows what’s going on? A while ago there was a little situation outside the octagon for Alex outside the octagon. Who knows what caused that and what that portends? There are many things that can be said and many things that can be assumed. But at the end of the day, I feel like when a fighter starts looking beyond what’s already in front of him, I feel like it can be a recipe for an upset.”

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s events hub for UFC 307.