5 frontrunners for Fight of the Night at UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2

UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 is set to go down at the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida, this weekend. The upcoming pay-per-view is loaded with explosive fights and there's no shortage of contenders for Fight of the Night honors.

Top-to-bottom, UFC 287 boasts a litany of mouthwatering matchups, featuring some of the most exciting fighters in the sport at the moment. There's absolutely no way the upcoming pay-per-view doesn't deliver the goods, so we thought we'd rank the most explosive fights on the card.

Here are five frontrunners for Fight of the Night at UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2.

#5. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Chris Curtis

The final bout of the UFC 287 preliminary card is a certified banger and is the perfect fight to lead into a stacked main card as former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum returns against Chris Curtis.

Kelvin Gastelum has been a shadow of his former self since his incredible five-round war with Israel Adesanya back in 2019. The 31-year-old has now lost five of his last six bouts and has largely been outpointed by his opponents in recent fights.

Gastelum's upcoming fight against Chris Curtis stylistically favors both middleweights, who primarily like to stand-and-bang. Curtis is among the most powerful 185-pounders around and it remains to be seen how his patient preying style fares against Gastelum's fast hands.

Moreover, both fighters are insanely durable, which should make for some explosive back-and-forth exchanges.

#4. Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal

This weekend's pay-per-view co-headliner pits one of the biggest stars in the sport, Jorge Masvidal, against the always-game Gilbert Burns in a pivotal welterweight clash.

While this matchup could potentially turn into a one-sided affair in favor of Burns, we're counting on Masvidal to perform in his hometown and make this one competitive.

If this matchup stays on the feet, we're in for a hell of a fight. It essentially comes down to Gilbert Burns' approach and Jorge Masvidal's resiliency. Burns has a significant advantage on the mat and is arguably the best pure grappler in the entire division, so Masvidal cannot afford to find himself on the ground.

'Gamebred' has always displayed tremendous takedown defense, but his last fight against Colby Covington saw him get taken down multiple times. The BMF titleholder should be able to hold off most of Burns' offensive wrestling, but needs to capitalize on the stand-up.

This is a high stakes bout as well, as Masvidal has history with current welterweight king Leon Edwards, but his No.11 spot in the rankings and recent run of results doesn't warrant a title shot. A win over No.5-ranked Burns is the perfect way to make a statement.

With both fighters being over 35, their time at the top is nearing its end, making this a career-changing and potentially career-making fight.

#3. Kevin Holland vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio

This next matchup will be far more evenly matched than the pay-per-view co-main event. Fan-favorite Kevin Holland will look to return to winning ways this Saturday when he squares off against Santiago Ponzinibbio on the main card.

Holland has struggled for consistency in recent times, but this next bout should bring the best out of him.

Kevin Holland's last octagon appearance was his Fight of the Year contender against Stephen Thompson last year, wherein he made several ill-advised errors while prioritizing entertainment over victory. If he really intends to make a run for the title, a wiser approach is recommended.

His next opponent, Santiago Ponzinibbio, has also been quite inconsistent over the last few years. 'The Argentine Dagger' is 2-3 in his last five fights, with his last two losses coming via split-decision. The 36-year-old will need to turn up the output if he is to overcome Holland this weekend.

It's unlikely either fighter will even attempt a takedown in this one. With two all-action strikers like Holland and Ponzinibbio set to lock horns, an entertaining slugfest is all but guaranteed.

#2. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2 – UFC 287 main event

Israel Adesanya is out for revenge. 'The Last Stylebender' is chasing redemption at UFC 287, where he will take on the boogeyman of his professional career, Alex Pereira, in the main event.

The two world-class middleweights have already squared off three times previously across kickboxing and MMA, and despite the 3-0 scoreline in favor of 'Poatan', Adesanya is still seen by many as the better fighter.

Alex Pereira dethroned Israel Adesanya last year, taking the Nigerian-born Kiwi's middleweight title at UFC 281. The Brazilian champion now has two knockout wins over 'The Last Stylebender' and is looking to add another this Saturday.

The first fight between the two largely played out on the feet, with Adesanya winning some wrestling exchanges in the middle rounds. Its remains to be seen whether the former champion will persist with the wrestling offense this time around, rather than pursue an early finish to avoid standing with Pereira for 25 minutes.

One would expect Pereira's takedown defense to have improved since their fight last year, and the champion isn't likely to make the same basic errors he made at UFC 281. The Brazilian also needs to be more active early on, as he always finds himself behind Adesanya in their prior fights.

Striker vs. Striker matchups don't get much better than this. For Pereira, this is a chance to do an MMA double over one of the most dominant UFC champions of the modern era. On the flipside, this is Adesanya's last shot at avenging his losses to 'Poatan'.

#1. Rob Font vs. Adrian Yanez

With all eyes on the two marquee bouts atop the card, and outspoken characters like Kevin Holland and Raul Rosas Jr. also on the pay-per-view portion of UFC 287, the bantamweight clash between Rob Font and Adrian Yanez has largely flown under the radar.

The UFC bantamweight division has emerged as arguably the most exciting weight class across combat sports. UFC 287's Rob Font vs. Adrian Yanez bout is yet another barnburner pitting top-ranked 135-pounders against one another.

Font represents the old guard, having been in-and-around the divisional top 10 for quite some time now. The Bostonian is on a two-fight skid, but has shared the octagon with some of the biggest names in the division. He will be looking to defend his No.6 spot in the rankings when he takes on No.12-ranked Yanez.

A graduate of Dana White's Contender Series, Yanez has been nothing short of sensational since signing with the UFC. The 29-year-old is now 5-0 inside the octagon, with four wins coming via knockout.

Font and Yanez have a boxing-heavy style and unmatched toughness, which makes for a mouthwatering clash of styles.