Israel Adesanya ended his rivalry with Alex Pereira emphatically at UFC 287 Saturday. While Adesanya’s back was against the cage, he unleashed two vicious right hands that sent Pereira out cold. The former champion Adesanya had to overcome significant adversity to reclaim his Middleweight championship, defeating his rival who had beaten him three times across two combat sports. In the Co-Main event, Gilbert Burns defeated Jorge Masvidal by Unanimous decision. Burns controlled the fight throughout and has put himself back into title contention with a victory. Masvidal announced his retirement in his post-fight interview calling an end to his storied mixed martial arts career.
Also, on the UFC 287 Main Card, contenders Rob Font and Kevin Holland got back in the win column with impressive knockout victories.
Israel Adesanya (24-2) Def. Alex Pereira (7-2)
In the Main Event of UFC 287, former Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya reclaimed his title by defeating the man who took it from him in November 2022, Alex Pereira. One of the most heated combat sports rivalries of all time may have come to a close this weekend. Pereira entered this contest as the newly crowned 185 lb champion, having captured gold in his fourth UFC fight. Pereira took the belt off Adesanya by TKO and defeated him twice in kickboxing. Many questioned Adesanya’s mindset coming into this contest and thought the previous losses to Pereira would affect his confidence. However, this was not the case, as Adesanya rose to the occasion and delivered an unforgettable performance.
Both fighters began round one very cautious, gauging range and exchanging leg kicks at a distance. Pereira started to connect with a jab and leg kicks that backed Adesanya toward the cage. Adesanya tried to stick and move on the outside but was cut off by Pereira in round one. In round two, Pereira came out extremely aggressive and was looking to end the fight. Pereira threw damaging combinations to the body and head of Adesanya as he retreated.
Midway through the second round, while against the cage, Pereira loaded up on a straight right-to-left hook combination but was stopped dead in his tracks by a thunderous right hand from Adesanya. Pereira was rocked momentarily, losing balance, and as he brought his head back up was met with another right hand that sent him unconscious.
What’s Next?
This was a massive win in Adesanya’s career, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest Middleweights in UFC history. This event marked the first time that a UFC card has been back to Miami since 2003, with the main event potentially ending in the knockout of the year. In the post-fight press conference, Adesanya stated that Pereira would not receive the next title shot if it were up to him. This may have been the final chapter in this rivalry. Pereira will need to be sidelined for an extended period after this brutal knockout and should not be rushed to return.
Khamzat Chimaev would be an intriguing stylistic matchup for Adesanya. Chimaev is a Russian phenom who dominates opponents with his crushing Sambo style. Currently, Chimaev is ranked third in the Welterweight division and is not officially in the UFC Middleweight rankings. After missing weight and having his fight pulled with Nate Diaz, Chimaev has been rumored to be moving up to 185 lbs.
#5 Gilbert Burns (22-5) Def. #11 Jorge Masvidal (35-17)
In the Co-Main Event, Welterweights Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal battled to stay in title contention at 170 lbs. Burns is a decorated Jiu-Jitsu artist who recently submitted Neil Magny in the first round. Masvidal is a dangerous striker and one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster. Masvidal had gone on a rough stretch coming into this fight, dropping his last three contests. Burns was a significant favorite (-425) at online sportsbooks. Masvidal was entering his 52 professional fight and expressed interest in retiring should he lose to Burns at UFC 287.
In round one, Burns started on the aggressive backing Masvidal to the cage while throwing crisp right hands. Burns seemed content to stand and trade with Masvidal for most of round one. Burns was the faster fighter standing and held a significant advantage on the ground. Masvidal seemed to slow down as the rounds progressed, repeatedly eating big right hands from Burns. In rounds two and three, Burns started to find a home for his takedown attempts. Burns secured four takedowns over the fight for five minutes of control time.
After three rounds, all three judges unanimously scored the fight for Burns (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). This was an impressive performance from Gilbert Burns, who may find himself in a number-one contender type of fight next. Burns would be an interesting opponent for Belal Muhammad, who is on a nine-fight unbeaten streak. Masvidal laid his gloves down in the Cage afterward, ending his storied career. Masvidal was a member of the Strikeforce merger and competed 22 times in the UFC, twice challenging for the Welterweight title.
#6 Rob Font (20-6) Def. #12 Adrian Yanez (16-4)
Ranked Bantamweights Rob Font and Adrian Yanez entertained the crowd at the Miami-Dade Arena in a one-round war. Font is a UFC veteran who recently lost by decision to UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo and title contender Chito Vera. Font is highly durable and has never been knocked out in his career. Yanez is a bright and coming prospect who came into this fight (5-0) in his short time with the UFC. Yanez has shown impressive boxing skills in fights with Tony Kelley and Randy Costa, although he has never faced someone inside the UFC top 15 rankings. Font has had in-cage experience with some of the best Bantamweights in division history, and it showed Saturday.
In round one, Yanez started strong landing a jab followed by a right hand that momentarily stunned Font. Font could weather the storm and land his punches on the inside. Font was able to land a three-punch combination exiting the clinch that wobbled Yanez. Yanez did his best to survive but was hurt and faced an elite Bantamweight finisher. Yanez tried desperately to recover but was hit with a massive right hand that knocked him down. Once Yanez fell, Font jumped over him and finished the fight with ground and pound. This was a statement win for Font but proved to be too much of a jump up in competition for Yanez, who is only 29 years old and still a bright prospect.
Kevin Holland (24-9) Def. Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-7)
Welterweight fan favorites collided to start the Main Card as Kevin Holland took on Santiago Ponzinibbio. Holland has impressed since moving down to Welterweight, where he seems to have a height and reach advantage over most of the division. Holland holds impressive knockout wins over Joaquin Buckley and Jacare Souza. Ponzinibbio has an aggressive seek-and-destroy style that has earned him 16 knockouts. Ponzinibbio was on the verge of title contention in 2018 before a gruesome staff infection almost ended his career. After three years away from the sport, Ponzinibbio returned in 2021, going 2-3 since.
Round one started slowly, with both fighters cautious of the fight-ending capabilities of their opponent. Ponzinibbio tried to pressure Holland but was unable to connect with anything significant. Holland began to land his jab while circling away from Ponzinibbio and more than likely won the first round. In round two, Ponzinibbio came out with a sense of urgency and fired hard leg kicks at Holland. Holland controlled the rest of the round outpointing Ponzinibbio at a distance. In round three, Holland could connect with a left hand that dropped Ponzinibbio. Holland swarmed in on his opponent and finished the fight. This was an excellent win for Holland, who will probably be in the official welterweight rankings next week.
UFC 287 Prelims:
The UFC 287 prelims contained many entertaining and exciting fights. Middleweights Chris Curtis and Kelvin Gastelum fought a great battle in the last prelim of the night. Both exchanged in a memorable back-and-forth brawl from beginning to end. Gastelum has previously challenged for the UFC Middleweight Championship and is a former collegiate wrestler with power in his hands. Curtis is an MMA veteran who entered this fight (5-1) in the UFC since coming over from PFL. Both fighters stayed in the pocket and traded big shots over three rounds. Gastelum was landing at a higher volume, but Curtis was very much in the fight landing hard left straights that damaged Gastelum throughout. After three hard-fought rounds, the judges scored the fight unanimously in favor of Gastelum (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).
On the UFC 287 prelims, Dana White Contender Series alumni Joe Pyfer picked up the biggest win of his career, stopping UFC veteran Gerald Meerschaart by TKO in the first round. Pyfer is now 2-0 in the UFC and has looked impressive in each performance.
The UFC will return next week with a fight night card featuring top five Featherweights Max Holloway and Arnold Allen. UFC Fight Night Cards can be seen on ESPN+.
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