5 questions that will be answered at UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2
The UFC's first event in Miami in nearly 20 years will be underway this Saturday at the Miami-Dade Arena, where UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 is set to go down.
Former middleweight king Israel Adesanya will look to re-claim his title in the main event against Alex Pereira, in what is potentially the final chapter in a historic rivalry. Miami's own Jorge Masvidal features in the co-headliner, opposite Gilbert Burns in a pivotal welterweight bout.
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The upcoming pay-per-view is stacked from top to bottom with explosive matchups, many of which carry weight in their respective divisional hierarchy. The MMA landscape is set to undergo a few more shuffles this weekend and it remains to be seen how things will pan out.
On that note, here are five questions that will be answered at UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2.
#5. Which up-and-coming prospects will shine?
UFC 287 will showcase some of the best talent to come out of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in recent years.
DWCS graduate and ranked strawweight contender Luana Pinheiro will look to climb the 115-pound ladder when she takes on Michelle Waterson-Gomez. Joe Pyfer made waves in the opening episode of the latest season of DWCS and will make his second octagon appearance against promotional veteran Gerald Meerschaert.
All-action lightweight Ignacio Bahanmondes will finally have a crowd to perform for when he takes on Trey Ogden, his first fight outside the UFC Apex since earning a contract on DWCS.
![Ignacio Bahamondes, Luana Pinheiro & Joe Pyfer [Images via @jaulabahamondes, @luanapinheiromma & @bodybagz_pyfer on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/80463-16808570705623-1920.jpg)
The prospect drawing the most attention going into the upcoming pay-per-view is naturally Raul Rosas Jr., the 18-year-old unbeaten phenom who broke onto the scene with a stellar performance on DWCS last year.
'El Nino Problema' made light work of Jay Perrin in his UFC debut in December and will be eyeing another impressive finish when he squares off against Christian Rodriguez in the opening bout of the main card.
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#4. Can Kevin Holland kick-start a welterweight title run?
Kevin Holland has emerged as a true fan-favorite over the last few years. With his non-stop in-cage talk, outspoken nature and willingness to fight anybody, 'Trailblazer' has undeniably resonated with the masses, despite being on a losing skid.
Holland will be itching to return to winning ways when he takes on Santiago Ponzinibbio this Saturday.
Despite having won just two of his last seven fights, Kevin Holland's stock is still healthy. After moving down from the middleweight division last year, Holland racked up two wins at 170 pounds before his mauling at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279.
He then put on a Fight of the Year contender with Stephen Thompson, wherein he clearly prioritized entertainment over victory. Now 30 years old and entering his prime, Holland would be much better served fighting smarter if he really wants to ascend the welterweight ranks.
Santiago Ponzinibbio is a tough test for Holland. 'The Argentine Dagger' has held his own with some of the best welterweights in the division, but has never faced a striker quite like Holland. This matchup definitely favors 'Trailblazer', who will have a power and reach advantage, but his fight IQ leaves a lot to be desired.
If he can deliver another clean performance like he did in his two welterweight outings last year, we could have a real threat to the 170-pound throne on our hands.
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#3. Does Adrian Yanez belong among the UFC bantamweight elite?
Adrian Yanez has turned in one impressive performance after another in the UFC since signing with the promotion over two years ago.
His scorching run of form saw him climb to the No.12 spot in the bantamweight rankings and he will have a chance to break into the top tier of the division when he takes on No.6-ranked Rob Font on the UFC 287 pay-per-view main card.
Adrian Yanez has been nothing short of spectacular since breaking onto the scene on DWCS back in 2020. He pulled off a 39-second TKO victory on the show to earn a contract and has since racked up five wins on the bounce, four of which ended in knockouts.
Unbeaten in the UFC and riding a nine-fight win streak overall, Yanez is among the hottest prospects in the already-stacked bantamweight division. The 29-year-old American's fan-friendly style of fighting has seen him deservely receive a high placement on the card against an elite contender.
Rob Font has shared the octagon with the cream of the crop at 135 pounds, but after back-to-back losses to Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera, is forced to fight down the rankings. This mouthwatering matchup has Fight of the Night written all over it and is guaranteed to produce fireworks.
If Yanez comes out on top, a championship opportunity can't be too far away. If he gets another finish, the Texas native could be in for a fruitful and potentially lucrative year ahead.
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#2. Is this the end of the road for Jorge Masvidal?
Jorge Masvidal fought his first professional MMA fight way back in 2003, just one month after the UFC's lone visit to Miami for UFC 42. Masvidal's career has now seemingly come full circle as he will take on Gilbert Burns in his 51st pro fight in his hometown nearly 20 years after his debut, and this could be his last one.
Jorge Masvidal has been on the UFC roster since the promotion's absorption of Strikeforce in 2012. He initially plied his trade in the lightweight division before moving up to welterweight, but always flew under the radar and didn't really have a significant following.
2019 saw Masvidal break through as a superstar. 'Gamebred's scorching wins over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz saw his stock skyrocket, firmly putting him in the title mix. However, three losses on the trot have certainly diminished his stardom.
Masvidal lost two title bouts to Kamaru Usman before a crushing defeat to bitter rival Colby Covington last year. He hasn't won a fight in over three years and currently holds the No.11 spot in the welterweight rankings. The BMF titleholder has himself admitted that another loss could spell the end of his career.
Masvidal is putting it all on the line against Burns at #UFC287 💯
(via @bokamotoESPN) https://t.co/cqykuy563X
On the flipside, Jorge Masvidal has a lot to gain if he gets his hand raised this weekend. Considering his history with current welterweight king Leon Edwards, he could vault himself right back into the title picture if he puts away Gilbert Burns in style.
Could this mark the end of a phenomenal career, or the start of another 'Gamebred' resurrection?
Jorge Masvidal plans to make violent art out of Gilbert Burns 🎨
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#1. Can Israel Adesanya slay his boogeyman?
At UFC 281 last year, Alex Pereira famously picked up his third win over Israel Adesanya across combat sports, winning the UFC middleweight title to further cast a shadow over 'The Last Stylebender's legacy.
'Poatan' is well and truly the boogeyman of Adesanya's career.
After winning the UFC title last year, Pereira held up a 'three' after beating Adesanya for a third time in his career 😤 #UFC287 https://t.co/u0su1X3ZkB
Alex Pereira is the only fighter who has finished Israel Adesanya, and he's done so twice already. The hard-hitting Brazilian seemingly has Adesanya's number, but their upcoming MMA rematch is still very evenly matched. In fact, 'The Last Stylebender' is a slight betting favorite.
Over the course of their two prior kickboxing fights and their UFC title bout last year, Adesanya has shown that he is technically far superior. The Nigerian-born Kiwi has dominated most of the rounds they've shared in the ring, but ultimately fails to get past the final hurdle.
Adesanya will need to be nothing short of perfect on Saturday night if he is to finally overcome 'Poatan'. If he loses to him again, it won't bode well for his legacy and title aspirations, so the stakes have never been higher.
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Just last year, Israel Adesanya was among the most dominant and popular champions in the UFC. Alex Pereira chased him down from a different sport to create this unique rivalry, which could well have its final chapter at UFC 287 this Saturday.
The Rematch! 💥
Alex Pereira vs Israel Adesanya this Saturday at #UFC287!! https://t.co/Xy66EF3Dvu