5 prospects to watch out for at UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2

The fifth UFC pay-per-view of 2023 will be underway at the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida, this Saturday. UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 boasts a stacked fight card, featuring numerous up-and-coming prospects with real championship potential.

Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya will run it back for the middleweight title in the main event, with former welterweight title challengers Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal set to lock horns in the co-headliner.

While most of the attention is on the highly intriguing headliner and the pivotal co-main event clash, there are a number of intriguing fights and rising prospects to look forward to on the undercard.

On that note, here are five prospects to watch out for at UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2.

#5. Joe Pyfer (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)

Joe Pyfer broke onto the scene with a scorching TKO victory on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) last year, two years after losing on the show and missing out on a contract.

Pyfer made light work of Osman Diaz at DWCS last July to earn a contract and made his full promotional debut two months later, knocking out Alen Amedovski in the first round.

Joe Pyfer is a well-rounded middleweight with heavy hands. 'Bodybagz' has seven knockout victories on his record, with all but one of his career wins coming via decision. Still just 26 years old, the Philadelphia native is only just scratching the surface of his true potential.

Pyfer is in for a tough test this weekend, as he is slated to take on promotional veteran Gerald Meerschaert, who has been with the company since 2016. With 50 professional fights under his belt already, Meerschaert is vastly experienced and is also a dangerous finisher. 'GM3' is a grappling specialist, with 27 submission wins on his record.

In contrast, Pyfer has had just 12 professional bouts, fighting in his first pro fight two years after Meerschaert made his octagon debut. If 'Bodybagz' picks up his second win in the promotion, a shot at a ranked contender could be next.

#4. Luana Pinheiro (10-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)

Another Contender Series alum, Luana Pinheiro, is also set to feature at UFC 287 this weekend. The 29-year-old is looking to pick up her third win in the famed octagon at the upcoming pay-per-view and continue her ascent up the 115-pound rankings.

Luana Pinheiro earned a contract on DWCS back in 2020. The Brazilian strawweight then picked up back-to-back wins over Randa Markos and Sam Hughes to break into the strawweight top 15.

She will have a chance to break into the top 10 this Saturday when she takes on Michelle Waterson-Gomez in the prelims. Waterson-Gomez is among the best strikers in the 115-pound bracket and will prove to be a tricky puzzle to solve for Pinheiro.

Waterson was a force to be reckoned with in her prime, but at 37, 'The Karate Hottie' has been a shadow of her former self in recent fights. This matchup appears to be a layup for Pinheiro to break into the top tier of the division.

#3. Ignacio Bahamondes (13-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC)

Ignacio Bahamondes is among the most exciting young lightweights on the roster. The 25-year-old Chilean's fan-friendly fighting style is a sight to behold, and he'll finally have a sold-out arena watching him when he returns to action this weekend.

Ignacio Bahamondes' last four fights have all been at the UFC Apex, this includes his sensational front-kick knockout in DWCS and three subsequent lightweight outings. 'La Jaula' lost his octagon debut via split-decision before finishing Roosevelt Roberts and Rong Zhu to open his account in the promotion.

Bahamondes is a devastating striker, with nine of his 13 wins coming via knockout. In his latest outing against Zhu, he showed new wrinkles to his game, submitting his Chinese counterpart to record his first career submission. Still just 25, the sky's the limit for this promising Chilean.

He will look to pick up his third UFC win when he squares off against Trey Ogden at UFC 287.

#2. Raul Rosas Jr. (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)

The youngest fighter in the UFC, Raul Rosas Jr., is also among the most highly touted prospects we've ever seen grace the octagon. The 18-year-old has taken the MMA world by storm since his masterclass on DWCS last year and will look to advance his UFC record to 2-0 at the Miami-Dade Arena this Saturday.

Raul Rosas Jr. made headlines when he fought on DWCS at the age of just 17 last year. 'El Nino Problema' dominated Mando Gutierrez from pillar to post to earn a contract and made his octagon debut at the final pay-per-view of 2022, when he submitted Jay Perrin in the very first round.

With a 6-0 amateur record and a 7-0 professional record, Rosas Jr. is already quite experienced for his age. He has vowed to break Jon Jones' record and become the youngest champion in UFC history, and still has plenty of time to accomplish this feat.

At UFC 287, Rosas Jr. will look to uphold his perfect record when he takes on Christian Rodriguez, who is seven years his senior.

#1. Adrian Yanez (16-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC)

The stage is set for surging bantamweight Adrian Yanez this weekend. He will have a chance to establish himself as the latest addition to the top tier of the 135-pound bracket at the upcoming pay-per-view, but has a very tough outing ahead of him.

Like the four previous entries on this list, Adrian Yanez also earned a contract with an impressive performance on DWCS. He signed with the company in 2020 and has been incredibly active ever since, racking up five wins on the bounce, four of which were knockouts.

Yanez's scintillating run of form has seen him climb to the No.12 spot in the bantamweight rankings. He could break into the upper echelons of the division this weekend when he takes on No.6-ranked Rob Font in what is one of the best matchups across the entire card.

Font has been in-and-around the top of the division for quite some time now and has shared the cage with some of the biggest names in the weight class. A win over the experienced contender would do wonders for Yanez's title aspirations.