UFC 287 returns to Miami for first time in 20 years with massive card headed by middleweight champion Alex Pereira rematching the former champion Israel Adesanya. Main Card fighters chime in.

April 5th, 2023

• UFC^® 287: PEREIRA vs. ADESANYA 2 takes place Saturday, April 8th at Miami’s recently named Kaseya Center (home to the Miami Heat).
• Newly crowned UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira makes his first title defense against former champion and No. 1 contender Israel Adesanya
• No. 5 ranked lightweight contender Gilbert Burns battles Miami’s own No. 11 Jorge Masvidal in an electrifying co-main event
• UFC^® 287: PEREIRA vs. ADESANYA 2 will be available on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View

BITTER RIVALS ONCE AGAIN MEET: ALEX PEREIRA AND ISRAEL ADESANYA CROSS PATHS IN A HIGLY ANTICIPATED REMATCH

• Alex Pereira (7-1, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) aims to secure his first title defense against long-time foe Adesanya
  • UFC middleweight champion
  • No. 7 ranked Pound-for-Pound fighter
  • Six wins by knockout, three first-round finishes
  • Also holds wins over Sean Strickland, Andreas Michailidis and Bruno Silva

• Israel Adesanya (23-2, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) returns to put an end to his rivalry with Pereira and reclaim the middleweight crown
  • Former UFC middleweight champion and current No. 1 ranked contender
  • No. 5 ranked Pound-for-Pound fighter
  • 15 wins via knockout, seven first-round finishes
  • Holds wins over Anderson Silva, Robert Whittaker (x2), and Marvin Vettori (x2)

WELTERWEIGHTS LOOK TO STEAL THE SHOW: GILBERT BURNS COLLIDES WITH JORGE MASVIDAL IN A THRILLING CO-MAIN EVENT

• Gilbert Burns (21-5, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) intends on displaying another flawless victory and stake his claim for a future title shot
  • No. 5 ranked UFC welterweight
  • Nine wins by submission, six via KO
  • 11 first-round finishes
  • Holds wins over Neil Magny, Stephen Thompson, and Tyron Woodley

• Jorge Masvidal (35-16, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) returns to the Octagon to deliver another exciting performance in his hometown
  • No. 11 ranked UFC welterweight
  • 16 wins by KO, two via submission
  • Eight first-round finishes
  • Holds KO wins over Nate Diaz, Ben Askren, and Darren Till

OTHER FIGHTS ON THE CARD INCLUDE

• No. 6 ranked bantamweight contender Rob Font (19-6, fighting out of Woburn, Mass.) meets No. 13 Adrian Yanez (16-3, fighting out of Houston, Texas) in an intriguing clash of dynamic strikers
• Fan-favorite Kevin Holland (23-9 1NC, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) squares off with the highly motivated Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-6, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a welterweight bout guaranteed to deliver fireworks.

• Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus clash as the youngest athlete on the UFC roster,18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., (7-0, fighting out Las Vegas, Nev.) aims on remaining undefeated when he faces Christian Rodriguez (8-1, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) in an exciting bantamweight tilt

• Former title challenger and current No. 13 ranked middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum (17-8 1NC, fighting out of Yuma, Ariz.) battles all-action No. 14 Chris Curtis (30-9, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Cincinnati, Ohio)

Chris Curtis during UFC 287 Media Day

• No. 11 strawweight contender Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-10, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) takes on No. 13 Luana Pinheiro (10-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Gerald Meerschaert (35-15, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) sets out to extinguish the hype train of Dana White Contender Series signee Joe Pyfer (9-2, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) at middleweight
• Karl Williams (8-1, fighting out of Gwinnett, Ga. by way of St. Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands) locks horns with Chase Sherman (16-11, fighting out of D’Iberville, Miss.) in an exciting heavyweight matchup
• No. 15 ranked flyweight contender Cynthia Calvillo (9-5-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) returns to strawweight to take on Loopy Godinez (8-3, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico)
• Dana White’s Contender Series signees face off when Ignacio Bahamondes (13-4, fighting out of Chicago, Ill. by way of Santiago, Chile) faces Trey Ogden (16-5, fighting out of Kansas City, Miss.) at a 160-pound catchweight bout
• Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-10, fighting out of Beijing, China) goes for his fourth consecutive win when he meets Steve Garcia (13-5, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) at featherweight
• Strawweight’s kick off the night as undefeated prospect Jaqueline Amorim (6-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) makes her UFC debut against Sam Hughes (7-5, fighting out of Dallas, Texas)

For more information on this card and all things UFC visit https://www.ufc.com/