The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s second quarter of 2023 is underway.
UFC 287 will take place on Saturday, April 4th from the newly-named Kaseya Center in Miami. Returning to the southern state for the first time in nearly 20 years, the promotion looks to make the most of its visit with a highly-anticipated matchup for the UFC Middleweight Championship, a hometown favorite, the youngest fighter in company history, and a slew of additional talents throughout numerous weight classes.
See further below for start times and programming.
Featured Headliner
A highly-anticipated rematch awaits as current UFC Middleweight Champion Alex Pereira will look to defend his title for the first time against Israel Adesanya.
Pereira and Adesanya have had a heated history dating back to their times in kickboxing. The inaugural event for Glory of Heroes in April of 2016 saw Pereira take their first meeting by unanimous decision. A rematch in the same promotion eleven months later saw Pereira, after losing the first two rounds, find route to a third-round knockout. Both men would go on to incredible successes between 2017 and 2022 including Pereira’s becoming of a two-divisional Glory Kickboxing Champion and Adesanya capturing mixed martial arts gold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship with five defenses to his credit and a lone defeat in 24 matches to Jan Blachowicz at light heavyweight.
After joining the UFC and amassing three impressive victories, Pereira was scheduled to take on Adesanya for the first time in MMA at UFC 281 last November. The pace was set early as Adesanya would lead the dance and end up with a near knockout to close the first round. Most time from then to the championship rounds was spent in Adesanya’s favor. That was until the fifth and final round, as Pereira would score a comeback for the ages and finish Adesanya by knockout to become the UFC’s newest and current champion at 185 pounds.
Co-Main Event
Welterweights Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal are sure to put on a show in the night’s co-main event.
Former divisional title challenger Burns is set to make his 20th walk to the octagon. Tonight’s bout comes as his second thus far in 2023 after a dominant showing against Neil Magny at UFC 283 with a first-round submission by way of arm-triangle. Burns, a third-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, knows how to finish fights having secured stoppages in 15 of his 21 outings including six by knockout.
His opponent, Masvidal, will have the homefield advantage fighting in his backyard of Miami, Florida, for only the second time in his professional career. A 16-year veteran out of American Top Team, the 38-year-old has trained with the best and fought against the best as he prepares for his 52nd fight in MMA. Masvidal will look to snap a three-fight skid of defeats following a three-fight streak of wins in 2019 that saw the fastest knockout in UFC history over Ben Askren at just five seconds.
Remaining Matchups
– MAIN CARD –
Bantamweight contender Rob Font will fight in his first-non main event since December of 2020 looking to snap a two-fight skid against Adrian Yanez who has won nine in-a-row with seven by knockout.
Kevin Holland hopes to avoid three-straight defeats in the octagon as he battles Argentinian finisher Santiago Ponzinibbio.
The youngest fighter in UFC history, 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., looks to back up his December of 2022 debut against 25-year-old Christian Rodriguez in his third UFC fight. Rodriguez will give up 20% of his purse after missing the bantamweight mark by a pound (137 lbs.) on Friday morning.
– PRELIMS –
The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum and former CES Middleweight Champion Chris Curtis headline the television portion ahead.
Former Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson will plan for her first win in the octagon since September of 2020 as Dana White’s Contender Series alum Luana Pinheiro rides momentum with eight straight victories dating back to her lone loss.
Crafty submission expert Gerald Meerschaert has had his hand raised in four of his last five fights with each by way of submission. Opponent Joe Pyfer looks to make it four in-a-row after receiving a contract from Contender Series and a first-round knockout last September.
Another Contender Series contract winner, Karl Williams, steps in on short notice for Chris Barnett against two-time tenured Chase Sherman.
– EARLY PRELIMS –
Cynthia Calvillo and Lupita Godinez headline the early preliminary card on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.
At a catchweight of 160 pounds, Ignacio Bahamondes will take on short notice replacement Trey Ogden. Ogden stepped in for Nikolas Motta who suffered an injury just over a week ago.
Shayilan Nuerdanbieke will make his 50th career walk to the cage riding a three-fight win streak as he battles Jackson Wink MMA Academy’s Steve Garcia.
In the opening fight of the night, undefeated Jaqueline Amorim makes her octagon debut seven months removed from her first defense as LFA’s Strawweight Champion. She will meet former LFA divisional title challenger and six-fight UFC notable Sam Hughes.
UFC 287 Results
Stay tuned with MMASucka as we provide you with
live results from UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2.
*Blue indicates completed fight*
– – – MAIN CARD – – –
10:00pm ET • 7:00pm PT
PPV
Israel Adesanya def. Alex Pereira via KO (punch, 4:21, Round 2)
Middleweight Divisional Championship – 185 lbs.
Gilbert Burns def. Jorge Masvidal via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Welterweight – 170 lbs.
Rob Font def. Adrian Yanez via TKO (punches, 2:57, Round 1)
Bantamweight – 135 lbs.
Kevin Holland def. Santiago Ponzinibbio via KO (punches, 3:16, Round 3)
Welterweight – 170 lbs.
Christian Rodriguez def. Raul Rosas Jr. via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Catchweight – 137 lbs.
– – – PRELIMINARY CARD – – –
8:00pm ET • 5:00pm PT
ESPN / ESPN+
Kelvin Gastelum def. Chris Curtis via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Middleweight – 185 lbs.
Luana Pinheiro def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Women’s Strawweight – 115 lbs.
Joe Pyfer def. Gerald Meerschaert via TKO (punches, 3:15, Round 1)
Middleweight – 185 lbs.
Loopy Godinez def. Cynthia Calvillo via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28 30-27)
Women’s Strawweight – 115 lbs.
– – – EARLY PRELIMINARY CARD – – –
6:00pm ET • 3:00pm PT
ESPN+ / UFC FIGHT PASS
Ignacio Bahamondes def. Trey Ogden via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Catchweight – 160 lbs.
Steve Garcia def. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke via TKO (body shot & punches, 0:36, Round 2)
Featherweight – 145 lbs.
Sam Hughes def. Jaqueline Amorim via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Women’s Strawweight – 115 lbs.
*Chase Sherman pulled out of his heavyweight fight with Karl Williams due to illness.*
