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    Israel Adesanya Overcomes Adversity & Alex Pereira to Reclaim the UFC Middleweight Title

    James KoenBy James Koen10 Mins Read

    UFC 287 took place tonight from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida after two decades and RDX Sports has you covered with all the results and highlights!

    The UFC showdown in Miami delivered a stacked card packed with excitement. In the evening’s main event, Israel Adesanya scored a second-round knockout against Alex Pereira, reclaiming the Middleweight title.

    At UFC 287’s co-main event, Gilbert Burns showcased a masterful blend of striking and wrestling to secure a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal.

    In other action, Kevin Holland delivered a spectacular knockout win against Santiago Ponzinibbio.

    UFC 287 Results & Highlights

    Main Event – Middleweight Title Bout: Israel Adesanya def. Alex Pereira via KO: R2, 4.21

    https://twitter.com/MMAThanos/status/1644927053232488448

    Co-Main Event – Welterweight Bout: Gilbert Burns def. Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)

    https://twitter.com/FireMMAVid/status/1644919164107145216

    Bantamweight Bout: Rob Font def. Adrian Yanez via TKO: R1, 2.57

    https://twitter.com/FireMMAVid/status/1644908729760903168

    Welterweight Bout: Kevin Holland def. Santiago Ponzinibbio via KO: R3, 3.16

    https://twitter.com/FireMMAVid/status/1644904409816522753

    Bantamweight Bout: Christian Rodriguez def. Raul Rosas Jr. via unanimous decision (29-28x)

    Pereira vs Adesanya 2

    A captivating sports rivalry requires skilled opponents to deliver thrilling moments. Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira have cultivated such a rivalry over the years, and at UFC 287 on Saturday night, Adesanya penned their most electrifying chapter yet.

    After struggling to beat Pereira in kickboxing and the UFC Octagon for over seven years (UFC 281), Adesanya finally seized his perfect moment, demolishing Pereira with two right hands to reclaim the UFC middleweight championship via a second-round knockout.

    Pereira vs Adesanya 2 – Round One

    Adesanya relinquishes the center of the Octagon to his old rival, who opens up with an outside leg kick early on. The Nigerian-born Kiwi remains composed despite Pereira’s formidable power. They exchange intense gazes while battling for Octagon control while trading calf kicks. Adesanya struggles to close the distance and land his right hand, unlike in their first fight. However, he finds success with multiple body kicks, even as he takes low calf kicks. Pereira narrowly avoids a right kick and a left hand that flies past his chin.

    Pereira vs Adesanya 2 – Round Two

    Pereira exudes confidence early in the second round and starts walking down the former champion. Adesanya, however, doesn’t wilt under pressure or buckle when taking a big left hook from Poatan. Pereira continues chewing up Adesanya’s lead legs from both stances. Undeterred, Adesanya keeps moving forward and searches for openings for his body kicks. With two minutes left in the round, Adesanya lands a solid right hand, followed by another 30 seconds later, which Pereira rolls with.

    In the final minute, Adesanya’s right leg buckles due to more vicious calf kicks, forcing him to back up. As he covers up under a barrage of shots, Adesanya rocks the champ with a massive overhand right. He then seals the deal with a left hook and ground-and-pound. Israel Adesanya knocks out Alex Pereira to reclaim the middleweight title.

    What a victory for The Last Stylebender.

    One of the Best UFC Victories … and Victory Speeches of All Times!

    “People, Earth, I need to say something, listen to me,”

    Adesanya said to the camera in the Kaseya Center in Miami.

    “I hope every one of you — behind the screen and in this arena — can feel this level of happiness, just one time in your life.

    “But guess what, you will never feel this level of happiness if you don’t go for something in your own life.”

    “When they knock you down, when they try and sh*t on you… and try and put their foot on your neck.

    “If you stay down, you will never ever get that resolve. Fortify your mind!”

    The Show of Respect

    Even though there was no love lost in the build-up to their trilogy bout, Adesanya acknowledged that he and his rival shared a moment of respect inside the Octagon at Madison Square Garden.

    “I told him after the fight, when I took a bow to the crowd, he came up to me and said, ‘Hey, hey… respect, respect.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t like you, you don’t like me, but respect.’ And we shook hands. Energies don’t mix and that’s okay. This is war. So war still wages on,”

    Adesanya told the MMA Hour.

    In fact, the show of respect was evident in their backstage interaction with not many cameras and media around.

    What’s Next for Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, A Trilogy???

    As soon as Adesanya’s knockout win over Pereira at UFC 287 concluded, questions arose about a potential trilogy fight between the rivals. However, when asked about it, UFC president Dana White suggested that it may not even be an option.

    “Honestly, I think that Pereira probably moves to 205 after this fight,”

    White told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference.

    “He’s a monster. I know that he still had two pounds to cut leading up to when there was like an hour left in weigh-ins. Yeah. I’m not saying he’s moving to 205, but I’d assume he is. You guys can ask him, himself. But it wouldn’t surprise me. … I would bet anything he moves to 205 after this fight.”

    Pereira hasn’t commented on his UFC 287 loss or his future plans, but Adesanya shares White’s viewpoint. If Pereira remains in the middleweight division, Adesanya believes he should work his way back to a title fight.

    “I don’t keep score, I settle them,”

    Adesanya said at a post-fight news conference of his own.

    “Now, it’s settled. Look, I gave him the fast track to the belt. I could’ve said, ‘Nah, f*ck no. Who has he fought?’ Like, he fought one top-five. But he did well. He fought some alright guys. Then, he beat f*cking Strickland and I was like, ‘OK, fine. There’s no one else.’ But also, I was looking for that challenge, that guy that beat me in kickboxing. That’s why I took that fight.

    “I got that immediate rematch because of what I’ve done in this game. … I did the hard yards. I earned my f*cking rematch. Now, he’s got to do the hard yards if he wants to do that, but I don’t think he’s going to. Go cause problems at 205. Good f*cking luck to everybody else because he’s a motherf*cker to deal with. I’ll tell you that.”

    Gilbert Burns vs Jorge Masvidal

    Gilbert Burns ventured into Miami and defeated the city’s favored fighter, Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal, in Saturday’s co-main event. Masvidal couldn’t secure a hometown victory, as Burns claimed a decisive unanimous-decision win in what could be Masvidal’s final fight.

    The first round was close, with one judge even scoring it for Masvidal. However, Burns managed a takedown and landed ground-and-pound strikes, setting the tone for the rest of the bout. The second round saw Burns executing another takedown, marking the beginning of the end for Masvidal.

    From then on, Burns dominated the fight, grappling in the second round and landing powerful strikes in the third. Post-fight, Masvidal announced his intention to retire.

    While retirements in combat sports aren’t always permanent, if Masvidal is truly done, he leaves behind a legacy as one of the most thrilling fighters of his time. Meanwhile, Burns remains a contender in the welterweight division.

    Rob Font vs Adrian Yanez

    Miami fans are in for a treat as bantamweight strikers Font (19-6, 9-5 UFC) and Yanez (16-3, 5-0 UFC) prepare for an exciting stand-up battle in their upcoming match.

    Everybody expects a thrilling fight with high intensity, ample power, and unmatched durability – since neither fighter has ever been knocked out – making this match a must-watch.

    This fight offers Font and Yanez the perfect opportunity to showcase their power and durability, exchanging heavy blows. Font’s strikes cause swelling around Yanez’s eye, but both fighters continue trading in the pocket. Font eventually lands powerful shots that wobble Yanez, who struggles to recover.

    Font capitalizes on Yanez’s weakened state, unleashing a flurry of punches and hammerfists. Referee Keith Peterson steps in and stops the fight, reinforcing Font’s status as a bantamweight contender. Despite Yanez’s protest, the stoppage was well-covered by Peterson.

    Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio

    At UFC 287, popular welterweights Kevin Holland and Santiago “Argentine Daggar” Ponzinibbio faced off in Miami. Despite enduring numerous leg kicks from Ponzinibbio, Holland secured a final-round knockout victory.

    Holland aimed to break a two-fight losing streak, while Ponzinibbio entered the bout fresh from a knockout win over Alex Morono. The fighters exchanged blows after a brief feeling-out period, with Ponzinibbio delivering leg kicks and Holland executing combinations, dropping his opponent in the first round’s closing seconds.

    Holland dominated the later rounds and landed a perfect left hook, knocking Ponzinibbio out and ending the fight. Celebrating his win, Holland climbed the cage and informed former President Donald Trump that he had triumphed with a broken right hand.

    https://twitter.com/FireMMAVid/status/1644904409816522753

    After his win, “Big Mouth” Kevin Holland called out Miami’s Jorge Masvidal, predicting Gilbert Burns would defeat the former title contender. Holland declared himself the “badder MF’er” and promised to see Masvidal soon in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

    “There’s no badder MF’er than me. See you soon Jorge,”

    Holland said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

    Following his impressive knockout victory, Holland is expected to join the welterweight rankings, while UFC veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio will aim to enhance his skills after falling short in the bout.

    Christian Rodriguez vs Raul Rosas Jr.

    At UFC 287, 18-year-old prospect Raul Rosas Jr., who made a splash with his impressive Contenders Series win at age 17, aimed to stay unbeaten as he faced Christian Rodriguez. The two were set for an exciting Bantamweight clash that opened the pay-per-view event inside the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida.

    Christian Rodriguez, who didn’t get as much attention as his opponent Raul Rosas Jr. before UFC 287, emerged victorious in the end. In the main card opener at Kaseya Center in Miami, Rodriguez (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) defeated Raul Rosas Jr. by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

    In the first round, Rodriguez faced a tough challenge, with Rosas Jr. nearly submitting him through multiple submission attempts, including a standing rear-naked choke. However, Rodriguez survived the round, and the momentum shifted in his favor. As Rosas Jr. slowed down and appeared exhausted, Rodriguez started winning more exchanges, especially in grappling.

    In the last 10 minutes, Rodriguez showcased his strong wrestling and grappling skills, attempting his own submissions. The most significant offense occurred in Round 3, with Rodriguez delivering hard ground-and-pound from the mount position. The fight concluded with Rodriguez on top, recognized as the winner by the judges and even Rosas Jr., who seemed to accept his defeat before the official scorecard was announced.

    The exciting match featured two skilled, dynamic young prospects, with Rodriguez displaying slightly more refinement and experience, leading to a well-deserved unanimous decision victory.

    Well, this concludes the RDX Sports‘ UFC 287 coverage, with the promise of keeping you updated on all the latest that follows. Until next time, enjoy all the ups and downs of the UFC 287!

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