The UFC took a break last week, but Bellator 293 and PFL Season 1 2023 brought some high-profile fights. The main event at Bellator 293 was the knockout, where Daniel James miraculously recovered and scored an impressive stoppage time victory over Marcelo Golem. James later called a title shot. In the co-main event of the evening, former UFC title challenger Kat Zingano outlasted Leah McCourt to win a decision.
The PFL was fun to watch, but the main event was complete one-sided dominance from Brendan Loughnane, who stopped former UFC fighter and WSOF champion Marlon Moraes with nasty leg kicks in the second round. The co-main event was a technical fight, as Rob Wilkinson outlasted 205-pound former UFC title contender Thiago Santos to win the decision.
The UFC will now travel to sunny Florida. The event takes place at the Miami Dade Arena, Miami. The main event brings a rematch between former UFC 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya and reigning undisputed champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira.
Their previous fight was very interesting to watch. Pereira had already beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing, so technically, this was the third bout. Adesanya was on the score sheet, but Pereira somehow recovered in round 5 and scored a brutal stoppage in round 5 to win the belt.
Photo: @UFCBrasil Twitter
Adesanya is a very technical fighter with a great feint, great footwork, and amazing kicks and angles. His counters are great. Adesanya has a degree in taekwondo, so his tough style is easy to explain. The Nigerian-born New Zealander scored notable victories over legends Robert Whitaker, Yoel Romero, Marvin Vettori and many other great names. This could be Adesanya’s last chance to get the belt back.
Alex Pereira is known for his brutal left hook and one-punch knockout. He scored a vicious knockout in the LFA before making his UFC debut. Bruno Silva is the only fighter who has successfully traded bombs for three rounds with a Brazilian kickboxer. Pereira’s flying knee knockout against Andreas Michalides is one of the scariest finals in promotion history. The ruling Division King is ready to defend his belt by any means necessary.
Prediction: Pereira to win
The co-main event is a lot of fun, as BMF title holder and one of the UFC’s most controversial names, Jorge Masvidal, meets submission expert with prodigious kickboxing skills, Gilbert “Durinho” Burns.
Burns’ ground game is excellent, he is a former ADCC Champion with an amazing submission wrestling background. Gilbert’s trademark is armbar, but he’s comfortable with all kinds of chokes and submissions. In a standing position, he likes to land big hooks and powerful leg kicks. Burns doesn’t move around much and chooses instead to control the center line. He’s a great angular pressure fighter, too.
Masvidal scored notable wins over the legendary Nate Diaz and Darren Till, but he always had problems with good wrestlers. For example, Kamaru Usman defeated him on two occasions. This is a nightmare match for Jorge. Gamebred will have to keep this fight going if he wants to win. Burns is more adept on the floor, and the match could end before the final buzzer if the two end up on the canvas. Jorge’s advantage is long-range strikes, especially straight punches. But he will have a hard time if the Brazilian fighter presses him against the fence.
Prediction: Gilbert Burns wins
You can check out the full “Pereira vs Adesanya 2” fight card for the UFC 287 pay-per-view below. There are many high profile fights on the UFC Miami card.
Main Card (ESPN + PPV, 10pm ET, 4am CET)
UFC Middleweight Championship fight (185 pounds): Alex Pereira (7-1-0) vs. Israel Adesanya (23-2-0)
Welterweight (170 lbs.): Gilbert Burns (21-5-0) vs. Jorge Masvidal (35-16-0).
Bantamweight (135 lbs.): Rob Font (19-6-0) vs. Adrian Yanez (16-3-0)
Welterweight (170 lbs.): Kevin Holland (23-9-0) vs. Santiago Ponzenepo (29-6-0)
Bantamweight (135 pounds): Raul Rosas Jr. (7-0-0) vs. Cristian Rodriguez (8-1-0).
Preliminary card (ESPN, UFC On Fight Pass, 8pm ET, 2am CET)
Middleweight (185 pounds): Kelvin Gastelum (17-8-0) vs. Chris Curtis (30-9-0).
Strawweight (115 lbs.): Michelle Watterson-Gomez (18-10-0) vs. Luana Pinheiro (10-1-0)
Heavyweight (265 lbs.): Carl Williams (8-1-0) vs. Chase Sherman (16-11-0)
Middleweight (185 pounds): Gerald Mearschaert (35-15-0) vs. Joseph Pfeffer (10-2-0)
Early Prelims (ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 6pm ET, midnight CET)
Strawweight (115 lbs.): Cynthia Calvillo (9-5-1) vs. Lupita Godinez (8-3-0)
Total Weight (160 lbs.): Trey Ogden (16-5-0) vs. Ignacio Bahmonds (13-4-0).
Featherweight (145 lbs.): Steve Garcia (13-5-0) vs. Shaylan Nordenbeck (39-10-0)
Strawweight (115 lbs.): Sam Hughes (7-5-0) vs. Jacqueline Amorim (6-0-0)
My predictions for the upcoming UFC 287 pay-per-view event are available in the playlist below.
UFC 287 is a very stacked card. Many wars can go a long way, but we may see some big stops, too. Young defender Raul Rosas Jr. is looking for another win in submission, Pereira wants to put Adesanya to sleep again, Masvidal doesn’t want to lose in his hometown. Will Adesanya get the belt back? Could Pereira score another vicious knockout victory? We’re about to see him on Saturday!