After a great event in March with UFC 285, the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida, in the United States will host the forthcoming mixed martial arts event, UFC 287, on April 8, 2023. The event will mark the promotion's second visit to Miami and first since UFC 42 in April 2003.
The main event is scheduled to be a rematch for the UFC Middleweight Championship between current champion Alex Pereira, a former Glory Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion, and previous champion Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya seeks a victory over Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in order to regain back his middleweight title. Pereira, who has defeated Adesanya three times in combat sports, will defend his recently acquired middleweight belt against him.
In addition to their two prior kickboxing matches, Pereira and Adesanya engage in their second mixed martial arts bout. Pereira has defeated his opponent three times in a row, twice by come-from-behind knockouts and once by a disputed decision. In November, Pereira defeated Adesanya, solidifying his position as the only person to ever KO Adesanya in kickboxing or mixed martial arts. Despite Pereira's undeniable success, Adesanya has a tiny advantage due to his overall strength and performance in each of their three fights.
Jorge Masvidal, a fan favorite, competes in the co-main event against Gilbert Burns in Miami. Despite the fact that UFC president Dana White appears determined on scheduling UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington as the following fight, Burns and Masvidal may strengthen their case for a championship shot with a great performance. Michael Chiesa, Chris Curtis, Adrian Yanez, Kevin Holland, and Raul Rosas Jr. are further names to keep an eye on.
Adesanya emerges as slight favorite over Pereira
Pereira is a little underdog to defend his championship against Adesanya according to the most recent UFC 287 betting odds provided by bookmakers like Bet365 NZ. Back in November 2022, when "The Last Stylebender" was the middleweight champion, Pereira knocked out Adesanya in the fifth round.
This rematch will also be the fourth meeting between these two fighters. Two of the prior battles were in kickboxing, while the third was in MMA. Pereira has gotten the better of Adesanya in all three prior meetings.
It seems sense that Adesanya has a little advantage in the betting odds given his legendary middleweight hegemony. Nonetheless, many people will support the current champion due to his past encounters with Adesanya.
Adesanya was up in the score during their prior encounter before the decisive round. In general, he was a little more effective than Pereira and landed more blows. Yet, the current champion was aware that he needed to accomplish something monumental in the decisive round. Against Adesanya, Pereira delivered a left hook that took the former champion by surprise. That was Adesanya's first middleweight loss and his second overall in the UFC.
He needs to subdue Pereira if he wants to restore his championship. Given that he has beaten Adesanya in every previous match, the Brazilian is definitely dangerous standing up. The Last Stylebender's ability to prevail in the rematch will ultimately depend on his plan of action and level of commitment.
Whether he can handle the forthcoming encounter psychologically is the key question. He's been beaten by Pereira three times, and that's going to mess with Adesanya's head.
Burns is a heavy favorite against Masvidal
Former welterweight title challengers Burns and Masvidal will meet in the UFC 287 as the co-main event.
Burns started up as a massive favorite at various bookmakers, as Masvidal hasn't competed since losing to Colby Covington by unanimous decision in March of last year. After defeating Nate Diaz in 2019, the 38-year-old has gone winless and has dropped to eleventh place in the welterweight standings. But, if he defeats Burns, his long-standing rivalry with the reigning champion Leon Edwards might propel him back into the mix. Two months after a victory in his home country of Brazil, Burns is back in the ring and will be a tough challenge.
Masvidal has experienced being the underdog in a fight before. He has actually finished as the underdog in eight of his last nine fights. Masvidal defeated Darren Till, Ben Askren, and Donald Cerrone in those bouts. He is presently going through his worst stretch of his career after suffering three straight defeats, including a landslide decision loss to Colby Covington at UFC 272 in March and two straight losses to Kamaru Usman in title bouts.
Burns was able to bounce back from his nail-biting loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 by defeating veteran Neil Magny by quick submission at UFC 283 in January.
