For the second time in MMA and fourth time overall in combat sports, Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya will throw down at UFC 287 this Saturday.
“Poatan” Pereira (that nickname rather aptly means “Hands of Stone”) has won all three of those meetings. The first two came during the pair’s kickboxing rivalry, which was then renewed when Pereira followed “The Last Stylebender” to the UFC, arriving in the promotion in November of 2021.
Last November, Adesanya had a clear advantage over the Brazilian for the better part of five rounds — until those hands of stone connected in the fifth, battering the then-middleweight champ as he looked to roll with the punches, backed up against the fence. The TKO stoppage was the second time Pereira had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Adesanya, and his third win over the New Zealander overall.
Should Adesanya fail to get past Pereira in this fourth meeting, there’s a very strong possibility he’ll never get another chance — opening up the division for the likes of Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori, and Paulo Costa, among others. Not to mention Khamzat Chimaev, should he opt to settle at 185.
UFC 287 could very well be the last time we see Jorge Masvidal in the cage, period. The Miami native, drawing a dangerous opponent in Gilbert Burns, has hinted as much, suggesting that a win will put him on a run at the title — while a loss might bring his fighting days to a close.
Ahead of UFC 287, the promotion will hold a pre-fight press conference in Miami, FL. A live stream is available in the embed above.
