UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya Odds, Prediction and Fight Preview
The Octagon returns to Biscayne Bay after a nearly two-decade absence as UFC 287 makes its way to Miami-Dade Arena for an action-packed pay-per-view event headlined by a rematch between middleweight champion Alex Pereira and former champion Israel Adesanya. In addition to the main event title battle, Saturday’s fight card has Gilbert Burns taking on Jorge Masvidal of Miami, as well as two very compelling bouts in the bantamweight division.
What makes this fight so interesting is that Pereira departed UFC 281 as the middleweight champion and with a 3-0 record versus Adesanya across two sports, despite trailing while entering into the final round and requiring a finish to seal a victory.
Achieving his goal in mixed martial arts after an impressive kickboxing career must give the champion a sense of accomplishment, and his repeated victories against the magnetic “Stylebender” must give him the assurance that he is unbeatable.
Despite the favorable aspects of their fight in November at Madison Square Garden, the challenger surely has doubts about whether or not the huge Brazilian is the last-level boss he will ever beat.
As opposed to rivalries characterized by bad blood, verbal warfare, and pre-fight acts of animosity, this one is simply between two top-tier talents who are competing at the greatest level and striving to prove their dominance to one another.
Our prediction: Pereira will pull the trigger earlier in the rematch and walk down Adesanya with confidence. However, he needs to bear in mind that Adesanya has the power to hurt him early in the fight. While making a prediction for this fight is difficult, we think that the fight will not go past the first-round mark.
Burns is 2-1 since making a run at the welterweight championship, with wins over Stephen Thompson and Khamzat Chimaev. Most recently, Burns submitted Neil Magny. Masvidal lost twice to Usman and then lost the main event of UFC 272 to Colby Covington by unanimous decision in March. He hopes to shake off his slump in front of a partisan crowd in his hometown.
With Edwards now at the top of the division, this one has genuine championship stakes, with Burns able to make a case for contention with a win and Masvidal having lingering history with the champ, so keep an eye on how it pans out.
Rob Font and Adrian Yanez meet in the midst of Saturday’s pay-per-view main card in a classic “experienced against prospect” showdown in the bantamweight division.
After losing two in a row, Font is still a top contender at 135 pounds. Font has one of the greatest jabs in the sport and plenty of experience fighting top-tier opponents. Yanez, 29, is undefeated in five UFC appearances and nine straight overall, but this will be his first time against a ranked opponent.
Both Font and Yanez prefer to work with their hands, so this four-ounce glove boxing battle should be fast-paced, technical, and competitive. This is a decent choice for Fight of the Night if you have to choose one.
Kevin Holland and Santiago Ponzinibbio clash earlier the same night, and are coming off of quite contrasting performances in their most recent outings.
Holland enters the bout on a two-fight losing streak after suffering defeats at the hands of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (in the fourth round) and Khamzat Chimaev (on short notice) towards the end of last year. Nonetheless, Ponzinibbio comes in having rescued a victory from the jaws of defeat in his most recent bout, when he came back from a third-round deficit to knock out Alex Morono.
In contrast to his Argentine opponent, who appears steely, motivated, and driven from the moment he crosses into the UFC cage, Holland often appears distracted and more worried about playing to the audience inside the Octagon.
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alex Pereira | +115 |
| Israel Adesanya | -135 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Gilbert Burns | -275 |
| Jorge Masvidal | +230 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Rob Font | +155 |
| Adrian Yanez | -180 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Kevin Holland | -250 |
| Santiago Ponzinibbio | +210 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Raul Rosas Jr. | -230 |
| Christian Rodriguez | -195 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Chris Curtis | +110 |
| Kelvin Gastelum | -130 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Michelle Waterson-Gomez | +140 |
| Luana Pinheiro | -165 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Chase Sherman | +330 |
| Karl Williams | -410 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Gerald Meerschaert | +160 |
| Joe Pyfer | -190 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Cynthia Calvillo | +210 |
| Lupita Godinez | -250 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Shayilan Nuerdanbieke | -205 |
| Steve Garcia | +175 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Jaqueline Amorim | -245 |
| Sam Hughes | +205 |
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