If the definition of insanity truly is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results, perhaps Israel Adesanya’s pursuit of Alex Pereira, with the pair meeting once against in the main event of UFC 287, was destined for failure.
On three previous occasions in their combat sports careers, the pair had met; in each instance, it was Pereira coming away with his hand raised.
Last November, in their first match-up in mixed martial arts, Adesanya dictated the first four rounds of a fight that ended with Pereira mounting a comeback in the final frame. Putting Adesanya away on the feet, it seemed as if the Brazilian was a particularly nasty form of kryptonite for “The Last Stylebender,” who fell to Pereira in similar fashion in their second kickboxing contest.
At UFC 287 on Saturday, however, Adesanya hoped to flip the script, and wash such sentiments away — with a win for Izzy potentially leading to a third fight in MMA, given the sport loves its trilogies so.
In the co-main event in Miami, Florida meanwhile, Jorge Masvidal finally returned home, fighting in his hometown for the first time under the UFC banner. That the promotion had not returned for a full twenty years was rather puzzling, given “Gamebred’s” star turn over the past several years. The last time they had come to town, in 2003, Masvidal had been in the crowd; on Saturday, he was the center of attention, in a tough stylistic match-up against Gilbert Burns.
Also on Satruday’s main card, Kevin Holland faced Santiago Ponzinibbio in a welterweight clash, action-packed bantamweights Adrian Yanez and Rob Font squared off, and 18-year old sensation Raul Rosas Jr. kicked off the show opposite Christian Rodriguez.
Following UFC 287 at the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, FL on Saturday, April 8, tune in for the event’s post-fight press conference to stay on top of all the developing news. A live stream is available in the embed above.
