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411’s UFC 287 Report: Adesanya KOs Pereira

April 9, 2023 | Posted by Robert Winfree
UFC 287 Image Credit: UFC

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
(c) Alex Pereira (185 lbs.) vs. #1 Israel Adesanya (184.5 lbs.) – for middleweight title
#5 Gilbert Burns (170 lbs.) vs. #11 Jorge Masvidal (171 lbs.)
#6 Rob Font (135 lbs.) vs. #12 Adrian Yanez (135.5 lbs.)
Kevin Holland (170.5 lbs.) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (171 lbs.)
Christian Rodriguez (137 lbs.)* vs. Raul Rosas Jr. (135 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
#15 Kelvin Gastelum (185 lbs.) vs. #14 Chris Curtis (186 lbs.)
#15 Luana Pinheiro (115.5 lbs.) vs. #10 Michelle Waterson-Gomez (116 lbs.)
Chase Sherman (249.5 lbs.) vs. Karl Williams (241 lbs.)
Gerald Meerschaert (185.5 lbs.) vs. Joe Pyfer (185.5 lbs.)
#15 Cynthia Calvillo (116 lbs.) vs. Loopy Godinez (115.5 lbs.)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
Ignacio Bahamondes (159.5 lbs.) vs. Trey Ogden (159.5 lbs.)
Steve Garcia (145.5 lbs.) vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (146 lbs.)
Jaqueline Amorim (115.5 lbs.) vs. Sam Hughes (116 lbs.)

Hello everyone and welcome to 411mania’s LIVE coverage of UFC 287, I’m Robert Winfree and I’ll be your host for the evening. Tonight we’ve got a pretty good card with a middleweight title fight in the main event. Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya tries to become the first ever two time champion in UFC middleweight history when he faces his personal boogeyman and current champion Alex Pereira who stopped Adesanya to claim the title last year. The co-main event is a solid welterweight fight when former title challengers Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns collide, and a bantamweight fight between surging Adrian Yanez and divisional staple Rob Font has fireworks written all over it. Elsewhere Kelvin Gastelum is trying to halt his current skid while his opponent Chris Curtis is looking for one of the biggest wins of his career, Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Trey Ogden might be a fun little fight as well, and Cynthia Calvillo is another fighter desperately trying to halt bad streaks and salvage their time in the UFC.

UFC 287 comes to the world from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, USA. This is the UFC’s first PPV in Miami since 2003’s UFC 42, which was headlined by Matt Hughes vs. Sean Sherk. Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and Daniel Cormier will provide commentary while Megan Olivi does the roving reporter bit. If we’re told about the rules I’ll update you all, but until told otherwise I’m just assuming the newest set. We will be in the 30 foot cage instead of the smaller 25 footer that normally occupies the UFC Apex.

We open with news that Chase Sherman vs. Karl Williams is off due to medical issues with Sherman. Well that adjusts a few bits of fight order, and means we’ll be dealing with somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 minutes of vamping to start the broadcast.

Jaqueline Amorim is undefeated coming into her UFC debut and looks to remain perfect after her UFC debut. Sam Hughes has gone 2-4 in the UFC, she just had a two fight winning streak broken last year and now looks to avoid another losing streak while trying to get a little closer to the .500 mark for her UFC time. The odds are with the debuting Amorim at -255 against +215 for Hughes.

Strawweight Bout: Jaqueline Amorim (6-0, 115.5 lbs.) vs. Sam Hughes (7-5, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Hughes is two inches taller while Amorim has four inches of reach advantage. Amorim starts out showing the jab and some kicks. Hughes walks into a couple of rights, and the “woo’s” are here already, God help us. Another right from Amorim. Hughes lands a jab. Double leg from Amorim, she gets it and quickly passes the guard of Hughes. Hughes to her knees, Amorim jumps on the back but Hughes spins into her then fights up to her feet and lands an elbow. Amorim is back on the takedown attempt against the fence, Hughes is defending the single leg. Eventually Amorim finishes the takedown and again quickly passes to side control. Hughes moves to her knees again, again Amorim humps to the back, gets the choke as Hughes gets sloppy trying to stand and Hughes has to hand fight and gets the choke broken as Amorim goes to a body triangle. Hughes stands with Amorim in the backpack position. Amorim is after the choke again, it’s tight again but again Hughes is hand fighting. Amorim keeps adjusting the grip but Hughes never stops hand fighting and eventually Amorim has to bail on the specific attempt. Hughes tries to turn into Amorim, Amorim moves to mount but they wind up scrambling to the feet and Amorim lands a right hand to end the round.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Amorim

ROUND TWO: Hughes gets on pressure right away, Amorim tries to pull guard but Hughes isn’t messing around with her on the mat. Hughes stuffs a double leg, Amorim pulls guard and closes it. Amorim goes to a body triangle from bottom, Hughes doesn’t mind and lands a few punches. Some more short punches from Hughes but things are stalling out a bit here. Eventually Hughes stands free and the reset. Hughes gets back to punching and walking forward. Amorim tries to pull guard, can’t do it and Hughes keeps making her stand back up. Hughes punches closer and Amorim pulls guard against the fence. Body shots from Hughes, then she postures up and lands punches to the head. Amorim is trying to invert for a leg lock, Hughes is able to get her leg free though and stands free. Amorim is really fatigued, she’s taking her sweet time regaining her feet. Hughes lands an uppercut then Amorim forces a clinch on the fence. Amorim winds up pulling guard, then moves to 50/50 but Hughes fights up and gets a takedown into side control as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Hughes, 19-18 Amorim overall

ROUND THREE: They touch gloves for the final round. Hughes is back to pressing forward and looking to land punches. A few rights from Hughes, Amorim looks almost done. Front kick from Hughes then she winds up clinched. They break apart and Hughes resumes pushing forward. Jabs from Hughes now. Hughes lands a front kick, Amorim keeps dropping down her level on every feint and attacks up the middle are landing. Amorim pulls guard, and Hughes starts landing punches and hammer fists while postured up. More punches from Hughes. Amorim is still just kind of killing time, Hughes gets a handcuff briefly then lands punches before Amorim gets her arm back. Hughes lands more lefts then a flurry of punches follow. Hughes stands free and we’ve got one minute left. Front kick from Hughes, she’s looking to up the tempo. Amorim pulls guard against the fence and Hughes resumes landing punches. Hughes makes Amorim stand again. Bit of a left from Hughes. They trade punches but the volume of Hughes adds up as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-8 Hughes but a marginal one, 28-27 Hughes overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Sam Hughes via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

I’m not at all sold on the lack of 10-8’s for Amorim in the first, tons of back control and a few different near chokes. Mic time for Hughes, she talks about improving her grappling overall and acknowledges losing the first round but knows she can fight all day.

Shayilan Nuerdanbieke has gone 3-1 in the UFC and is on a three fight winning streak, he’s hoping to extend that to four in a row here and start taking aim at some bigger names going forward. Steve Garcia has traded wins and losses while going 2-2 in the UFC, he’s coming off of a win though and now looks for his first winning streak since 2020. Nuerdanbieke is your -190 favorite against -160 for Garcia.

Featherweight Bout: Steve Garcia (13-5, 145.5 lbs.) vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-10, 146 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Garcia is five inches taller with a significant six inches of reach advantage. Southpaw for Garcia. Both men moving a lot early, then we get a time out as Garcia threw a front kick that hit the groin of Nuerdanbieke as Nuerdanbieke landed a couple of punches. Replay confirms the groin shot, just bad timing from both men more than anything and Nuerdanbieke is back to fighting after 50 seconds. Bit of a right hand from Nuerdanbieke. Nuerdanbieke crushes Garcia with a right hand, he gets on top in full guard and lands a few more punches before Garcia gets some posture control. Nuerdanbieke lands a couple of elbows. Garcia scoots to the fence and looks to wall walk but Nuerdanbieke passes to half guard. Eventually Garcia kicks him off and stands but Nuerdanbieke jumps on his back standing and looks for mat returns. Knee from Nuerdanbieke but Garcia is able to get chest to chest only for Nuerdanbieke to land a sacrifice throw despite Garcia having double under hooks. Nuerdanbieke in full guard now and lands a few more punches. A pretty decent pace for ground and pound from Nuerdanbieke here, it’s not fight ending but he’s chipping away and finding openings. Garcia kicks Nuerdanbieke off and regains his feet. A lot of pressure from Garcia now, he wants to force the issue as Nuerdanbieke might be a little fatigued. Hard left from Garcia staggers Nuerdanbieke, Nuerdanbieke tries a double leg, he winds up just clinching then throws what looks like an illegal head kick as Garcia had a hand down as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Nuerdanbieke

ROUND TWO: A touch of gloves to start the round. Nuerdanbieke definitely looks a little more fatigued. Garcia comes out firing, he lands a head kick then a left hand. Nuerdanbieke forces a clinch but Garcia lands an uppercut as they break. A front kick to the body from Garcia then he folds Nuerdanbieke up with a body shot and that’ll end it.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Steve Garcia via KO, body shot, at :36 of Round 2

Mic time for Garcia after that one, he gives glory to God first then puts over Nuerdanbieke’s toughness but he was able to get through the tough first round. He talks us through the finish and jokes he couldn’t do the three piece but tried for the old 20 piece.

Here’s the finish. No body kick present but the follow up left from Garcia is well placed and closes the show. Good body work is sadly hard to come by.

Ignacio Bahamondes has gone 2-1 in the UFC but he’s on a two fight winning streak with both of those wins being finishes, now he’s trying for three in a row and possibly a date with a bigger name or at least higher up on the card next. Trey Ogden took this fight on short notice hence the catchweight, but he’s also 1-1 in the UFC and coming off of a win so now he’s looking for his first UFC winning streak. Bahamondes is a pretty hefty favorite at -390 to a +320 comeback on Ogden.

Catchweight Bout: Ignacio Bahamondes (13-4, 159.5 lbs.) vs. Trey Ogden (16-5, 159.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Bahamondes is four inches taller with three and a half inches of reach advantage, he’s also 8 years younger. Some early stance switching from Bahamondes as he probes with kicks. Ogden lands a leg kick, Bahamondes returns it. Bahamondes lands a calf kick. A couple of lefts are traded then Bahamondes lands a left to the body. A lot of kicks from Bahamondes, mostly aimed at the leg thus far. Another leg kick from Bahamondes then a jab behind it. Bit of a left from Ogden but he’s getting out worked. Bahamondes lands a left body kick then a punch behind it. Calf kick from Bahamondes. Ogden lands a right to the body. They clash on kicks, then Bahamondes lands a spinning back kick to the body to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bahamondes

ROUND TWO: Ogden avoids a wheel kick. Bit of a left from Ogden. Bahamondes lands a calf kick then a body kick. Counter punches from Bahamondes land. Bahamondes avoids a single leg attempt. Ogden is trying to get his jab going but Bahamondes keeps chopping at his legs. Bahamondes lands a left hand. They trade left hooks. The activity of Bahamondes is still better and he’s out working Ogden though Ogden is fighting better this round. Ogden lands a jab then a right to the body. Bahamondes lands a leg kick. Stiff jab from Ogden. Bahamondes lands a body kick then a left hand. They trade power hand punches. Bahamondes lands an inside leg kick then has a head kick blocked to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bahamondes, 20-18 Bahamondes overall

ROUND THREE: Bahamondes gets back what’s been working for him, longer range kicks. Body kick from Bahamondes. Left hand from Bahamondes, who seems to be upping the pressure. Bahamondes lands a calf kick. Ogden lands a left hook. They trade lefts. More leg kicks from Bahamondes. Bit of a left from Bahamondes. Near high kick from Bahamondes but Ogden blocks it. More leg kicks from Bahamondes, both inside and outside. Bahamondes lands a left hand. Ogden lands a left hook then fires a head kick that’s blocked. Bahamondes lands a left to the body. Ogden lands another left but he’s struggling to follow up on any success he does have. Bahamondes with body kicks. Right hand from Bahamondes but Ogden lands a counter punch. Bahamondes lands a leg kick then a spinning back kick to the body. Both men miss spinning attacks to close out the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Bahamondes, 30-27 Bahamondes overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Ignacio Bahamondes via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)

Not sure which round was Ogden’s but him taking the second isn’t the craziest thing. Mic time for Bahamondes, he gives glory to God then promises he’ll kill the next guy he’s in here with. He puts over Ogden for taking this on short notice then puts over his skills in general as well. To close he plays with the crowd.

Cynthia Calvillo had a bit of hype back in 2019 or so, but weight misses, a weight class change, and her current four fight losing streak have put her in a really bad spot. Calvillo is back at strawweight now and desperately trying to salvage her UFC run with a win. Lupita Godinez has gone 3-3 in the UFC, she was last seen losing to Angela Hill and now tries to avoid her first ever losing streak by possibly sending Calvillo out of the promotion. The odds are unsurprisingly with Godinez at -265 against Calvillo’s +225.

Strawweight Bout: #15 Cynthia Calvillo (9-5-1, 116 lbs.) vs. Loopy Godinez (8-3, 115.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Calvillo is two inches taller with three inches of reach advantage. Both women show the lead hand as they get going. Godinez lands a right hand. Some kicks from Calvillo that miss, then Godinez lands a right hand. Another right from Godinez in close then a body kick. Both women land in close. Godinez lands a right to the body. Leg kick then a left hand from Godinez. Calvillo lands a couple of punches. Solid one two from Godinez. Side kick from Calvillo. Godinez lands a front kick. Bit of a right from Godinez, Calvillo didn’t like that and grabs a body lock then gets a takedown nearly into full mount. Godinez is able to fight to half guard. Butterfly guard for Godinez now, she’s able to kick Calvillo off and stands. Godinez lands a leg kick as the last blow of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Godinez

ROUND TWO: Both women working some kicks as the round starts. Godinez lands a body kick. One two from Godinez, she’s got a lot of forward pressure working and Calvillo doesn’t have a great answer for it. Calvillo has started stance switching. Bit of a right from Calvillo. They tie up, Godinez fights off a takedown attempt and lands a knee before they break. They trade rights. Another right from Godinez. Calvillo misses a few kicks. Bit of a right from Godinez then a front kick to the body. Both women land jabs. Calvillo eats a left hook, then Godinez follows it with another front kick. Godinez lands a right hand. Right from Calvillo lands. Good left from Calvillo lands. Godinez lands a jab. Bit of a body kick from Godinez. Calvillo has been the more active fighter this round. Front kick from Godinez then a left hook behind it. They’ll close the round trading lefts.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Calvillo but could go either way, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Calvillo works the lead hand as the round starts. Body kick from Godinez. Calvillo is trying to keep her jab active. Godinez keeps marching forward, she lands a bit of a head kick. Solid right from Godinez. Calvillo keeps her jab working to maintain distance. More trading of lefts, Calvillo is getting the better of these exchanges though. Godinez lands an inside leg kick. A couple of rights from Godinez land as she avoids Calvillo reaching for a takedown. Godinez lands a front kick. Bit of a head kick from Godinez. Calvillo just keeps landing the jab, Godinez simply doesn’t move her head. They both land hooks in close. Solid one two from Godinez. Godinez lands a body kick. They split a few jabs. They tie up, Godinez gets the back and works for mat returns. Calvillo spins free but eats a leg kick. A few more jabs go back and forth as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Godinez but could go either way, 29-28 Godinez overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Lupita Godinez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

Mic time for Godinez, she doesn’t like letting the judges get involved but loves to fight. She expected a tough fight and puts over Calvillo.

Gerald Meerschaert has gone 4-1 in his last five fights and scored a solid win in his last fight, now he looks to turn back a rising prospect and build another winning streak. Joe Pyfer is on a three fight winning streak including a successful UFC debut last year, now he’s back in action and looking to build his first UFC winning streak. Pyfer is the -190 favorite to +160 for Meerschaert.

Middleweight Bout: Gerald Meerschaert (35-15, 185.5 lbs.) vs. Joe Pyfer (10-2, 185.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Pyfer is an inch taller while Meerschaert has two inches of reach advantage, Pyfer is also 9 years younger. Southpaw for Meerschaert. Both men show kicks but nothing too effective for a while. Bit of a right from Pyfer. Meerschaert lands an inside leg kick. Both men are still looking for a meaningful connection, they’ve both shown head kicks but haven’t landed them. Pyfer lands a right hand. Meerschaert lands another inside leg kick. Body kick from Meerschaert, but Pyfer clips him with a left hand then drops him with a right and gets on top as Meerschaert is on his knees. Meerschaert just covers up and the ref stops things.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Joe Pyfer via TKO, punches, at 3:15 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Pyfer for his work this evening. Mic time for Pyfer who’s a touch emotional, he recounts his tough life story and says anyone can be something great. He puts over his team and says life has beaten him up, then asks for a post fight bonus. He talks us through the finish and puts over his coaches again. To close he reiterates his desire for a bonus.

This doesn’t show the punch that dropped Meerschaert, but you can see how done he is. Pyfer has some pop on his punches if nothing else.

Michelle Waterson-Gomez has gone just 1-4 in her last five fights and is on a two fight winning streak, if she wants to maintain her status as a relevant fighter in the division she cannot afford another loss here. Luana Pinheiro hasn’t lost since 2017 and is on an eight fight overall winning streak, she’s 2-0 in the UFC and looks to add a relatively large name to her list of victims here. Despite the ranking disparity Pinheiro is the slight -155 favorite against +135 for Waterson-Gomez.

Strawweight Bout: #15 Luana Pinheiro (10-1, 115.5 lbs.) vs. #10 Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-10, 116 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Waterson-Gomez is an inch taller while Pinheiro has half an inch of reach advantage. Both women come out feinting. Waterson-Gomez keeps showing the jab, she’s orthodox now but will switch as she sees fit. Leg kick from Waterson-Gomez, but Pinheiro lands a counter right. Now Waterson-Gomez has started switching her stance, when southpaw she works her lead leg a lot. Waterson-Gomez lands a spinning elbow, Pinheiro didn’t like that one. Pinheiro lands a calf kick. Bit of a right from Waterson-Gomez, Pinheiro is throwing wild and hard with her hands. They trade leg kicks. Some more stance switching from Waterson-Gomez. Pinheiro lands a right hand. Front kick to the face from Waterson-Gomez lands then a body kick to follow. Pinheiro lands another calf kick. Both women miss some strikes. Pinheiro lands a right hand, that wobbles Waterson-Gomez and she looks to follow up but the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Pinheiro

ROUND TWO: Pinheiro lands a solid calf kick to start the round. Waterson-Gomez tries a few side kicks but she’s falling a little short on them now. Pinheiro lands a calf kick then they trade punches. Right hands from Pinheiro land then she clinches up as they hit the fence. Some knees from Pinheiro land then they break as she misses a left hook. Bit of a front kick from Waterson-Gomez. Pinheiro lands another calf kick. Waterson-Gomez lands a calf kick of her own, but then takes another one. Pinheiro catches a kick and they trade punches. Waterson-Gomez defends a single leg but winds up clinched on the fence. Pinheiro with some knees and elbows, but Waterson-Gomez lands an elbow of her own before they break. Stiff jab from Pinheiro, and Waterson-Gomez returns it. Waterson-Gomez with a right hand. They clash, then Waterson-Gomez fakes a takedown and lands a right hand. Pinheiro avoids a few side kicks. A right hand from Pinheiro partially lands to end the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Pinheiro, 20-18 Pinheiro overall

ROUND THREE: Waterson-Gomez tries the side kicks again as the round starts but she can’t find the target. Single leg from Waterson-Gomez, Pinheiro bounces up into a clinch and Waterson-Gomez moves to the back. Some knees from Waterson-Gomez as she’s fighting for a takedown from the clinch. Pinheiro tries a judo throw but they just fight into the clinch again. Knees from Pinheiro, Waterson-Gomezis bleeding from the nose but I’m not sure what caused it. They trade punches as they break. Some front kicks from Waterson-Gomez. Pinheiro lands another calf kick. Waterson-Gomez misses a series of kicks. Pinheiro lands a body kick then eats a side kick. More missed kicks from Waterson-Gomez. Bit of a body kick from Waterson-Gomez. Pinheiro misses a spinning back fist. Bit of a jab from Waterson-Gomez. Some side kicks from Waterson-Gomez land to the body. Pinheiro misses a punch and Waterson-Gomez hits a takedown, but Pinheiro bounces back up into a clinch. Waterson-Gomez lands a few elbows in the clinch to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Waterson-Gomez, 29-28 Pinheiro overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Luana Pinheiro via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)

Not sure about the split, maybe the first could go to Watterson-Gomez? Mic time for Pinheiro and the translator, she puts over Watterson-Gomez but notes she was ready for three rounds and that paid off here. She talks about using the calf kick here and feels her hard work has paid off.

Kelvin Gastelum has gone just 1-5 in his last six fights and is on a two fight losing streak, this is all somewhat mitigated by facing a consistently high level of opposition but at some point you have to start winning consistently again. Gastelum needs this win badly as another loss would signify that he’s really starting to hit the downside of his career. Chris Curtis has gone 4-1 in the UFC and was last seen knocking out Joaquin Buckley, a win here would get Curtis another winning streak and would be a decent name to add to his resume. Gastelum is a slight -135 favorite to +115 for Curtis.

Middleweight Bout: #15 Kelvin Gastelum (16-8 1 NC, 185 lbs.) vs. #14 Chris Curtis (30-9, 186 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Curtis is an inch taller with a notable four inches of reach advantage. Both men fighting southpaw. Gastelum lands a leg kick. Curtis is circling and defending well at the moment. Inside leg kick from Curtis. Gastelum lands a calf kick but eats a counter left hand. Another calf kick from Gastelum. Curtis cracks Gastelum with a one two that sent him backwards. Gastelum lands another calf kick then his own one two. Inside leg kick from Curtis. A left from Gastelum lands. Curtis lands a leg kick to counter a jab. Calf kick from Gastelum, he’s had a lot of success with that kick this round. Hard left from Curtis. Right to the body from Curtis. Gastelum lands another couple of lefts, there’s a small cut around the right eyebrow of Curtis. They trade rights. Bit of a combination from Gastelum, he’s fighting very well this round. They feint away the final few seconds of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Gastelum

ROUND TWO: Gastelum lands a calf kick to start the second round. A couple of right hooks from Curtis land then a body shot behind them. Bit of a left from Gastelum. Curtis lands a body shot in close, he might be luring Gastelum into a brawl. A few more body shots from Curtis land. Curtis lands a left hand then a right behind it, they get too close for me to see what happened but Curtis drops to his knees and Gastelum jumps on his back but Curtis shakes him off. They stand and then clinch again, as commentary says there was a clash of heads that led to Curtis dropping on that exchange. Gastelum is after a single leg against the fence but Curtis is able to fight him off. Curtis lands a right to the body. Another left then a right to the body from Curtis. A left from Curtis seems to trouble Gastelum. Gastelum keeps circling, he’s trying to regain himself. Left hand from Gastelum lands and they trade in close. Curtis lands a combination, then Gastelum fires back. The body work is getting to Gastelum just a bit. Curtis avoids a takedown and lands another right to the body then a right hook behind it. Another body shot from Curtis. Gastelum lands a left hand. Curtis goes back to the body, Gastelum really doesn’t like those. Gastelum lands a left hand, but Curtis lands a right uppercut. They trade in close as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Curtis but could go either way, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Curtis lands a knee to the body pretty quickly. Some jabs now from Curtis. Gastelum lands a leg kick but eats a hard counter left. Both me are jabbing now. Curtis lands a body kick. One two from Curtis lands. Gastelum is still moving, and lands a left hand. Both men land in close then they clinch up. Curtis slips away from the clinch. Bit of a left from Curtis then an elbow behind it. Gastelum lands a left hand. A left from Gastelum counters a body shot. Curtis with a double up right hook. They trade punches in close again. A right hook from Curtis, then another and Gastelum is stunned for a moment. Curtis digs the body in close as they clinch up. They break without incident. Curtis with another right to the body then a knee. Gastelum lands a left. They clinch up again and hit the fence. Some knees go back and forth then they break. Both men miss lefts. Curtis lands another right hand then an elbow in close. Left from Curtis then a body shot, Gastelum is a little hurt to the body now. They trade then Curtis lands a knee to the head. Gastelum lands a couple of jabs then can’t finish a takedown. Curtis keeps marching forward and they trade in close to end the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Curtis, 29-28 Curtis overall but could go either way

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

Don’t agree at all with that 30-27, but no issues at all with him taking it 29-28. Mic time for Gastelum, he gives glory to God then celebrates his first win in a year and a half. He needed a big change in his life to make this work, but all the work is paying off. He puts over Curtis and declares himself back.

Well that’s it for preliminary action and on to PPV for the main card

Raul Rosas Jr. is undefeated including a win in his UFC debut, he’s back in action here and looking to remain perfect as he keeps building momentum in his budding career. Christian Rodriguez missed weight for this fight, never a good thing, but he’s 1-1 in the UFC and a win here would give him his first winning streak in the promotion. Rosas is your favorite at -240 to +200 for Rodriguez.

Bantamweight Bout: Christian Rodriguez (8-1, 137 lbs.) vs. Raul Rosas Jr. (7-0, 135 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Rosas is two inches taller while Rodriguez has four and a half inches of reach advantage. Southpaw for Rosas, who tries a takedown but Rodriguez defends and they wind up clinched on the fence. Rodriguez lands an elbow then a knee to the body. Rosas can’t finish the takedown despite really trying and Rodriguez keeps landing a few short knees. Now Rosas tries a single leg, it takes a bit but he does finish it and gets on top in side control. Rodriguez is able to scramble and get on top in side control as Rosas sold out for a front choke attack. They fight up, Rosas forces the clinch on the fence. Rosas slips to the back in the clinch but Rodriguez is able to keep from going down. Now Rosas jumps to the backpack and gets a body triangle locked in. Rodriguez is trying to hand fight, and Rosas can’t quite find the full choke. Rosas keeps after the choke and they sink to the mat but Rodriguez keeps breaking his choke attempts. They’ll end the round in that position.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rosas

ROUND TWO: Rosas tries another takedown, Rodriguez stuffs him over and gets on top in half guard. There’s an arm triangle attack from Rodriguez, he uses that threat to get to the ride position. Rosas fights up but eats a knee trying another takedown as they clinch. Elbow from Rosas, commentary is just verbally fellating Rosas. Rodriguez slips free and resets. Rosas looks fatigued and Rodriguez is pressing forward. Another clinch and Rosas slips to the back then looks to work from there. Rodriguez keeps reaching down for the legs and looking to roll. Rosas drags things down, but Rodriguez smothers him and gets on top in side control again. Some punches from Rodriguez as Rosas scrambles around to north-south. Rodriguez lands a few knees to the body then elbows and he moves to the ride position. They wrestle around, and Rodriguez is out wrestling Rosas now and keeping top position. More elbows to the body from Rodriguez. Rosas tries to roll to his knees, Rodriguez gets his back with both hooks in. Rodriguez grabs a body triangle and starts fishing for his own choke. Punches from Rodriguez as he rides Rosas. Choke attempt from Rodriguez, not that close yet but he’s working on it. Rodriguez digs some body shots while working to open up choke attacks. A few elbows from Rodriguez then punches as the round ends.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rodriguez, 19-19 overall

ROUND THREE: Rosas has slowed visibly at this point. Rodriguez lands a right hand. Some stance switching from Rosas but he’s out of ideas, he tries a jumping knee and just eats a right hand. Now Rosas tries a spinning back fist but again Rodriguez defends and cracks him with a right. Rosas tries a takedown, Rodriguez defends and gets back to pressure and measured offense. Another failed takedown from Rosas. Rodriguez lands a right hand. Rosas fails another takedown, Rodriguez gets on his back and rag dolls him down then starts riding him. Full mount for Rodriguez, then the back with hooks in. Rodriguez lands punches from the back, Rosas is stuck and Rodriguez tees off with punches. Elbows from Rodriguez now, he’s just beating up Rosas as Rosas seems resigned to being out of this fight. Choke attack from Rodriguez, he can’t find it to his liking and instead just lands more punches. Rodriguez keeps landing punches to the body and head while Rosas is just kind of stuck here. Rosas forces a scramble and they wind up back on the feet. Rodriguez pushes forward and lands a few punches before the clock runs down.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Rodriguez, 29-28 Rodriguez overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Christian Rodriguez via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Mic time for Rodriguez, he puts over Rosas then apologizes for missing weight. He says he’s been training with the best for a while, and he’d like to fight on international fight week. To close he puts over the fans and city of Miami.

We get our next Hall of Fame announcement, Rory MacDonald vs. Robbie Lawler from UFC 189. No brainer inclusion, that’s one of the very best fights of all time and it’s arguably the best welterweight title fight of all time. Personally the only welterweight fight in the discussion with it is Lawler vs. Condit.

Kevin Holland has gone 2-2 in his last four fights but he’s on a two fight losing streak and now needs a win to try and halt the current skid. Santiago Ponzinibbio has never quite been the same since a series of leg issues halted an impressive streak back in 2018, he’s 1-2 in his last three but both losses were split decisions and he is coming off of a win and now looks for his first winning streak since 2018. The odds are with Holland at -240 while Ponzinibbio’s +200 might be a decent little value bet.

Welterweight Bout: Kevin Holland (23-9 1 NC, 170.5 lbs.) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-6, 171 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Holland is three inches taller with a big eight inches of reach advantage. Ponzinibbio presses forward early, Holland circling and looking to use long range weapons. Side kick from Holland. Leg kick from Ponzinibbio, Holland counters with a left hook. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. A lot of leg kicks from Ponzinibbio, he’ll kick either leg as Holland is switching his stance up now. Holland lands a jab to counter a leg kick. Those leg kicks from Ponzinibbio are pretty consistent and Holland doesn’t care for them. Both men block high kicks. Holland circles away from some punches, then Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. Ponzinibbio checks a calf kick. Bit of a left hook from Holland. Ponzinibbio swings a few punches but he’s just a little out of range. Holland lands a couple of leg kicks. Bit of a right from Ponzinibbio. Calf kick from Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio with a bit of a left hook then a hard calf kick. Body kick from Holland, Ponzinibbio catches it but Holland lands a back fist that drops Ponzinibbio but the round ends before that can develop.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Holland

ROUND TWO: Ponzinibbio seems to be recovered, at least he’s moving well enough as the round starts. Both men snipe with leg kicks as they move around. Some more leg kicks from Ponzinibbio as they circle. Holland is picking up his pace just a bit, trying to keep active at range. They trade lefts. Calf kick from Ponzinibbio. Both men land punches in close. Holland is backing up Ponzinibbio but Ponzinibbio keeps chopping at his legs. Both men miss lefts. Ponzinibbio lands another calf kick. Holland has a leg kick checked, that didn’t sound pleasant. Spinning elbow from Ponzinibbio partially lands. Both men land some jabs. Ponzinibbio lands another leg kick. Right from Ponzinibbio in close, then Holland cracks him with a counter right and they clinch up. They break without incident. Holland lands an elbow in close. Ponzinibbio misses a few punches to close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Holland but a closer one, 20-18 Holland overall

ROUND THREE: Ponzinibbio gets on forward pressure as the round starts. Calf kick from Ponzinibbio lands. Bit of a left hook from Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio lands a hard calf kick, Holland didn’t like that one. Some jabs go back and forth. Inside leg kick from Ponzinibbio is checked, that looked painful. Ponzinibbio lands a calf kick. Holland misses a spinning crescent kick. Bit of a left hook from Ponzinibbio, then a calf kick behind it. Those leg kicks are adding up, Holland hasn’t addressed them in a real way. More leg kicks from Ponzinibbio, again he’ll hit either leg depending on Holland’s stance. Ponzinibbio lands a left hook. Holland lands a right hand, then catches Ponzinibbio with a left that face plants him and the ref jumps in to stop this one.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Kevin Holland via KO, punches, at 3:16 of Round 3

The Final Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Holland for his work this evening. Ponzinibbio wasn’t happy with the stoppage but it was perfectly fine, he was out and face planted. Mic time for Holland, he acknowledges the leg kicks hurt and feels he hurt his feet kicking Ponzinibbio. He talks us through the finish, and says if Masvidal doesn’t retire after Burns beats him tonight he wants a shot at him next.

Rob Font is a top bantamweight but he’s on a two fight losing streak, now he’s trying to defend his ranking while slowing down the building hype around his opponent. Adiran Yanez has lost since 2018 and is 5-0 in the UFC, now he’s take a pretty big step up in class to fight Font but a win would put him pretty firmly at the top of the division and not too far out from the title orbit. Yanez is your -165 favorite to the +155 underdog Font.

Bantamweight Bout: #6 Rob Font (19-6, 135 lbs.) vs. #12 Adrian Yanez (16-3, 135.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Font is an inch taller with an inch and a half of reach advantage. They touch gloves to get things going. Font lands a right hand, trying to set the tone. Yanez avoids a combination. One two from Yanez partially lands. Font lands a few jabs, then Yanez lands a counter combination. Both men are landing. Hard right from Yanez, well timed that one. Another right from Yanez then an uppercut. Font misses an elbow then can’t find a clinch. Now it’s Yanez working the jab and looking for angles. Font lands a jab then they trade rights. Hard right from Yanez in close, that left eye of Font is already swelling up from the jabs. Calf kick from Yanez. Both men are keeping active with the lead hand. They trade in close, Font wobbles Yanez with an uppercut. A right from Font lands flush, Yanez is backing up and looking to reset. Yanez lands a right hand then a left behind it. They get close and Font floors Yanez with a right hand and gets on top to pound things out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Rob Font via TKO, punches, at 2:57 of Round 1

The First Round Finish Club thanks Mr. Font for his work this evening. Mic time for Font, he plays with the crowd first then says he’s confident in his jab and once it gets going he can take anyone out. He talks us through the finish, he’s just happy with the win and the fight. Asked about the future he’s happy to have gotten a finish, and wants to fight another top guy next.

Gilbert Burns has only lost to Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev in his last 10 fights, he was last seen running over Neil Magny and now looks to score a high profile win that might put him back in the title picture now that Usman is no long the welterweight champion. Jorge Masvidal had a transformation in 2019 but is on a three fight losing streak, somewhat mitigated by those losses coming to Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. Masvidal is looking to get his third title shot if he can get by Burns here. Burns is one of the bigger favorites on the whole card at -435 to a +350 on Masvidal.

Welterweight Bout: #5 Gilbert Burns (21-5, 170 lbs.) vs. #11 Jorge Masvidal (35-16, 171 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: Masvidal is an inch taller with three inches of reach advantage. Both men start feinting rather quickly. Bit of a leg kick from Masvidal. Masvidal lands an inside leg kick. Masvidal lands a front kick. Burns misses a few left hands, neither man has a great read on things yet. Bit of a right from Burns. Masvidal lands a leg kick. Bit of a left then a leg kick from Masvidal. Masvidal is starting to get his jab working, and he lands another leg kick. Burns fires a few kicks that are checked. Masvidal avoids a right hand then lands a jab. Both men miss punches, then they briefly tie up but Masvidal slips free. Burns lands a body kick. Bit of a right from Burns. Burns lands a calf kick, that’ll basically close the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Burns but could go the other way

ROUND TWO: Burns lands a right hand pretty quick then goes for a double leg against the fence. Burns is able to finish the double leg into full guard. A few short elbows from Burns. Things are stalling out a bit here. Burns finally scoots things to the fence and passes, but Masvidal wall walks then rolls through and stands with Burns holding onto his back in the clinch. Mat return from Burns then he works on holding Masvidal against the fence. Masvidal wall walks again and Burns keeps the clinch. Some knees from Masvidal land in the clinch before they break. Body kick from Masvidal. They both miss rights. Bit of a right from Masvidal and that’ll be the last blow of the round.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Burns, 20-18 Burns overall

ROUND THREE: Masvidal lands a left hook, and there’s a bit of a head kick from Burns. Leg kick from Masvidal. Some leg kicks go back and forth for a bit. Burns lands a couple of jabs. Masvidal lands a leg kick but those aren’t having too much impact on Burns yet. More leg kicks from Masvidal. Masvidal lands a spinning back kick then an inside leg kick. Burns misses a right hand then lands a jab. Looks like Burns is upping the tempo, he lands a one two that seems to stun Masvidal. Another right from Burns lands. Bit of a one two from Masvidal. Uppercut from Burns then he looks to follow up along the fence. Burns with a clubbing right but he’s starting to head hunt just a bit. Masvidal lands a leg kick, then a bit of a right of his own. Burns lands a left hook then a right hand. Masvidal lands a left to the body then a right hand to follow up. Burns has had enough of this and forces a clinch on the fence. Eventually Burns gets a trip and lands on top in side control. Some elbows from Burns as Masvidal gets to half guard. Masvidal looks to wall walk, Burns gets to his back in the ride position. Masvidal scrambles towards his own takedown but the clock runs down before he can.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Burns, 30-27 Burns overall

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER – Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)

Mic time for Burns, he puts over Masvidal as the reason the UFC came back to Miami and thanks the crowd. He thinks he’s the only guy in the UFC who’ll actually fight anyone any time, and he wants to fight for the title next. To close he speaks some Portuguese that doesn’t get translated.

Masvidal gets an interview too, he gives love to Miami and apologizes for the loss. He started in Miami and after 20 years and 50 some odd fights, well everyone loses it eventually in every sport. The UFC inspired him in Miami 20 years ago and now he hopes he could have inspired someone, and he’s good for life after starting with nothing, so he doesn’t mind hanging them up. To close he puts over former US President Donald Trump, who’s sitting cage side, and puts over Florida Governor DeSantis as well before leading the crowd in an anti-Biden chant.

Israel Adesanya is the former UFC middleweight champion, he’s coming off of his first loss in the weight class ever in MMA which cost him his title. Adesanya has gone 0-3 against Pereira across both kickboxing and MMA, more than just regaining his title he’s trying to finally exorcise this particular demon from his combat sports life, though a win would make him the first ever two time middleweight champion in UFC history. Alex Pereira is on a seven fight winning streak including a late fight stoppage of Adesanya to win the middleweight title, now he’s looking for his first title defense and to begin establishing his title legacy in MMA in addition to being a very decorated kickboxing champion. Despite their history the odds lean slightly towards Adesanya at -130 while the champion sits at +110.

Middleweight Title Bout: (c) Alex Pereira (7-1, 185 lbs.) vs. #1 Israel Adesanya (23-2, 184.5 lbs.)

ROUND ONE: These two are the same height while Adesanya has an inch of reach advantage. I’m calling BS on the height being equal, Pereira is visibly larger. Both men with a little bit of feinting. Some leg kicks from Adesanya and Pereira, just range finding and tempo setting right now. Adesanya lands a calf kick. A lot of stance switching from Adesanya already. They trade calf kicks again. Pereira lands a leg kick then blocks a head kick. More leg kicks go back and forth. Bit of a jab from Adesanya. Glancing right from Adesanya. Pereira lands another leg kick. Pereira avoids a right hand. Bit of a body kick from Adesanya. Pereira lands a leg kick but eats a counter punch then Adesanya lands a body kick. Calf kick from Pereira. Adesanya lands an inside leg kick. Body kick from Adesanya. Adesanya keeps showing the body kick, and if you’re not worried about being taken down it’s a good weapon. Pereira misses a head kick, then Adesanya lands a left hand. Jab then a calf kick from Pereira. They kind of feint away the final seconds.

SCORECARD: 10-9 Adesanya but could go the other way

ROUND TWO: Adesanya is the one stalking forward to start this round, he lands a body kick. Hard inside leg kick from Adesanya then a front kick to the body. Pereira fires a head kick and starts coming forward, they get close and Pereira lands a couple of punches. Adesanya lands a right but eats a counter left hook. Adesanya throws some jabs then lands a right to the body. They trade jabs, then Adesanya lands a right hand. Pereira blocks a head kick. Bit of a calf kick from Pereira. A lot of southpaw work from Adesanya here, he lands a left hand but eats a jab. Bit of a right from Adesanya. Adesanya with a right hand then a body kick, he’s trying to keep Pereira on the back foot. Inside leg kick from Adesanya. Pereira starts coming forward, but eats a left hand. A couple of body shots from Adesanya. Pereira lands another calf kick then misses a head kick. Both men land in close, then Pereira lands a jab. Leg kick from Pereira seems to hurt Adesanya. They get close and trade Pereira is hitting the body but Adesanya lands a one two, then floors Pereira with a right hand and pounds him out on the mat and Pereira is out cold!

OFFICIAL RESULT: †WINNER and NEW UFC Middleweight Champion – Israel Adesnaya via KO, punches, at 4:21 of Round 2

Mic time for the first two time middleweight champion in UFC history, he first tells everyone on the planet that he hopes everyone out there can feel how happy he is, and he hopes that for everyone at least once in their lives, but you’ll never get there if you don’t go for it when they say you can’t do it. He says revenge is sweet, and we all know he’s got a sweet tooth. Rogan brings up the long history between him and Pereira and Adesanya calls Pereira a great champion and acknowledges he’s the bad guy of the Pereira story but tonight is Adesanya’s story. He says Pereira beating him made him a better man and a better fighter, he didn’t mess around this time and put everything he has into this fight. He talks us through the finish and says the last hammer fist he landed had absolutely everything behind it. To close he says he’s going to go out and party.

Well on that note UFC 287 comes to a close. Thank you for reading, be that live or after the fact. Pretty good card overall, and we should all get ready for the MMA trilogy between Adesanya and Pereira, because that’s probably coming unless Pereira goes up a weight class. We’ll be unpacking all of the fallout from this event on the 411 Ground and Pound MMA Podcast tomorrow, plus looking ahead to next week when Max Holloway takes on Arnold Allen in the main event when the UFC heads to Kansas City, Missouri. I’ll be back next week for that card, and I hope you will as well. Until next time everyone, thank you again for reading, stay safe out there, and keep checking 411mania for all of your pop culture needs.

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