The last time the UFC touched down in Miami was for UFC 42 in April 2003, with a pay-per-view show subtitled “Sudden Impact.”
On Saturday night at the Kaseya Center, the high-impact performances came early, often, surprisingly and spectacularly, beginning early in the evening and continued all the way through to the middleweight championship rematch between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.
Catch up on everything that transpired at UFC 287 with our recap of the action below. | Official Scorecards
UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 Results
- Main Event: Israel Adesanya defeats Alex Pereira by KO (right hand) at 4:21 of Round 2
- Co-Main Event: Gilbert Burns defeats Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Rob Font defeats Adrian Yanez by TKO (strikes) at 2:57 of Round 1
- Kevin Holland defeats Santiago Ponzinibbio by KO (left hook) at 3:16 of Round 3
- Christian Rodriguez defeats Raul Rosas Jr. by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Kelvin Gastelum defeats Chris Curtis by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Luana Pinheiro (29-28, 29-28) defeats Michelle Waterson-Gomez (29-28) by split decision
- Joe Pyfer defeats Gerald Meerschaert by TKO (strikes) at 3:15 of Round 1
- Loopy Godinez (30-27, 29-28) defeats Cynthia Calvillo by split decision (29-28)
- Ignacio Bahamondes defeats Trey Ogden by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Steve Garcia defeats Shayilan Nuerdanbieke by KO (strikes) at 0:36 of Round 2
- Sam Hughes defeats Jaqueline Amorim by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 Main Card Results
Main Event: Israel Adesanya defeats Alex Pereira by KO (right hand) at 4:21 of Round 2
Israel Adesanya is the UFC middleweight champion again after knocking out Alex Pereira in the second round.
The bitter rivals went one-for-one through much of the first two rounds, with Pereira chopping at Adesanya’s legs, and the challenger fighting with more forward pressure and urgency than in their last meeting. Just when Pereira pressed forward, looking to punish a seemingly hurt Adesanya, “The Last Stylebender” uncorked a right hand that landed flush and dazed the champion, with the follow-up right putting him on the canvas, out cold.
Just an absolutely tantalizing finish from the Nigerian-born, Auckland-based standout, who reclaims the middleweight title in style. | Official Scorecards
Co-Main Event: Gilbert Burns defeats Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Gilbert Burns marched into Miami and beat the city’s favorite fighting son, Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal, in Saturday’s co-main event.
A tense, competitive first round ended with the Brazilian having some late success, and early in the second, Burns put Masvidal on the deck, roughing him up a little on the ground. He stayed sticky as they rose to their feet, dumped him back to the canvas a second time, and caught him with a right hand when they got back up late in the frame. Masvidal started well in the third, but a big right hand from Burns shifted the tides back in the favor of “Durinho.”
This was a sharp, tactical victory for the talented contender, who has now earned a pair of Top 10 victories to start his 2023 campaign. He’s clearly one of the top talents in the welterweight division, so it will be interesting to see what’s next for Saturday’s victor.
As for Masvidal, this was his fourth straight setback and potentially the end of a long, entertaining career for the “King of Miami.” | Official Scorecards
Rob Font defeats Adrian Yanez by TKO (strikes) at 2:57 of Round 1
Welcome back, Rob Font!
Fighting for the first time in a year, the long-time Top 10 bantamweight halted Adrian Yanez’s ascent up the divisional ladder, hurting the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate midway through the opening stanza before chasing down the finish.
The New England Cartel member entered on a two-fight skid and got himself back into the win column in spectacular fashion. Heading into the contest, he said he wanted to turn in the kind of performance that reminded people of his talents — referencing Justin Gaethje’s underdog victory over Rafael Fiziev — and that’s exactly what he did! | Official Scorecards
Kevin Holland defeats Santiago Ponzinibbio by KO (left hook) at 3:16 of Round 3
Kevin Holland collected the biggest win of his career on Saturday night, finishing Santiago Ponzinibbio in the third round on Saturday’s main card.
The rangy welterweight dropped the veteran Argentinian in the first round, hitting him with a backfist while Ponzinibbio held onto his leg. After a competitive second and start to the third, Holland put a left hand on the veteran’s jaw that sent him crashing face-first into the canvas, bringing the fight to an instant halt.
With the win, Holland snaps a two-fight skid while showing the most focus and composure he’s displayed inside the Octagon in some time. Now 3-2 at welterweight in the UFC, the 30-year-old could find himself with a number next to his name when the rankings update early next week. | Official Scorecards
Christian Rodriguez defeats Raul Rosas Jr. by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Christian Rodriguez weathered the early storm and handed Raul Rosas Jr. the first loss of his professional career in Saturday’s pay-per-view opener.
Rosas Jr. dominated the first with his grappling, but Rodriguez survived a couple choke attempts and turned the tides in the second, spending the final half of the frame putting it on the flagging 18-year-old. In the third the Roufusport product stuffed a couple early takedown attempts before big brother’ing Rosas Jr. and collecting the victory.
The 25-year-old Rodriguez is an excellent prospect in his own right, and moves to 2-0 in the UFC bantamweight ranks, with a 9-1 record overall. This was an impressive, patient performance for Rodriguez, and as long as the weight miss on Friday is a one-time thing, he should remain a major person of interest in the talent-rich 135-pound weight class. | Official Scorecards
UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 Prelim Fight Results
Kelvin Gastelum defeats Chris Curtis by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Kelvin Gastelum and Chris Curtis closed out the prelims in style, going toe-to-toe, blow-for-blow for three rounds, no quarter asked and none given as the middleweights gave the audience in Miami a show.
Gastelum looked like on his feet and swift with his hands, turning in his best effort in a number of years, while Curtis was fundamentally sound as always, working body and head with his boxing and being defensively sharp. The former Ultimate Fighter winner Gastelum had his best success early, while Curtis turned in his best round in the third, with the crowd rising to their feet and full throat to cheer on these warriors down the stretch.
The outcome of the wildly entertaining affair was left to the judges sitting Octagon-side, and the officials all saw it the same way, with Gastelum coming away victorious. This was an outstanding fight between two tough-as-nails middleweights where neither man loses any ground in the divisional ranks. | Official Scorecards
Luana Pinheiro (29-28, 29-28) defeats Michelle Waterson-Gomez (29-28) by split decision
Ranked strawweights Luana Pinheiro and Michelle Waterson-Gomez got after it in the middle of Saturday’s UFC 287 fight card, playing to their strengths in a quality back-and-forth where each woman had moments of success.
Waterson-Gomez showcased her signature dexterity with her kicks, hitting Pinheiro with a number of kicks up the middle, while the Brazilian attacked the veteran’s left calf and connected with more powerful shots. Just when it seemed like one was seizing momentum, the other responded with a quality sequence to claw back into the contest.
The judges were called upon to determine the victor, awarding the fight to Pinheiro. With the win, the Dana White’s Contender Series grad moves to 3-0 in the UFC and runs her winning streak to nine, while Waterson-Gomez loses for the third consecutive outing and fifth time in six fights. | Official Scorecards
Joe Pyfer defeats Gerald Meerschaert by TKO (strikes) at 3:15 of Round 1
Joe Pyfer continues to put guys away quickly.
After standing out on the first episode of Dana White’s Contender Series last season, the 26-year-old picked up his second straight first-round finish on Saturday, dropping and stopping veteran Gerald Meerschaert. A big right hand put “GM3” on the canvas, and from there, Pyfer continued to attack until referee Marc Goddard had no choice but to step in and halt the action.
Now riding a four-fight winning streak with each of those victories coming inside the distance, Pyfer is beginning to establish himself as a genuine person of interest in the UFC middleweight division. “Bodybagz” is now 11-2 overall and should get another step up in competition following this standout effort in South Florida. | Official Scorecards
Loopy Godinez (30-27, 29-28) defeats Cynthia Calvillo by split decision (29-28)
Strawweights Loopy Godinez and Cynthia Calvillo spent the final 10 minutes trading on the feet, cracking each other with solid shots in a close, competitive fight that went the distance.
Godinez seemed to get the better of things in the first before Calvillo completed a takedown and slowed her momentum. From there out, the duo remained upright, with Calvillo throwing more volume and her Mexican-Canadian opponent connecting with the more considerable individual blows. Each time one would land something solid, the other would find a counter, resulting in the judges being called upon to decide it.
When the round-by-round scores were added up, it was Godinez that came out on the happy side of the split decision verdict. The 29-year-old moves to 9-3 overall with the victory, while Calvillo drops her fifth straight contest in her return to the 115-pound weight class. | Official Scorecards
UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 Early Prelim Fight Results
Ignacio Bahamondes defeats Trey Ogden by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Ignacio Bahamondes showed no signs of rust in returning to the Octagon for the first time since February 2022, putting the full complement of his striking skills on display to secure a victory over Trey Ogden on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old from Chile switched stances and attacked with all four limbs, peppering Ogden with punches and kicks from the outset, never letting more than a beat or two go by without offering a strike, a feint, or forward pressure. Ogden had success when he let go, but those moments were few and far between.
After dropping his promotional debut to seasoned vet John Makdessi, “La Jaula” has now won three straight, moving his record to 14-4 in the process. For Ogden, it’s a frustrating result in a short-notice assignment after missing out on his original fight a couple weeks ago in San Antonio, and a second loss in three UFC starts. | Official Scorecards
Steve Garcia defeats Shayilan Nuerdanbieke by KO (strikes) at 0:36 of Round 2
Holy comeback, Steve Garcia!
The Jackson-Wink MMA fixture got pasted with a laser-sighted right hand in the opening stanza, but after weathering the follow-up blows, the veteran got back to his feet and took it to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. After nearly getting the experienced Chinese fighter out of there towards the end of the first, Garcia came out firing to start the second and put him away with a series of attacks to the body.
Just an outstanding rally from Garcia, who has now won consecutive outings inside the Octagon for the first time in his career. The 30-year-old is now 14-5 overall and 3-2 under the UFC banner. | Official Scorecards
Sam Hughes defeats Jaqueline Amorim by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Sam Hughes navigated a treacherous first round to secure an impressive victory over Jaqueline Amorim in the opening fight of the evening.
The Brazilian newcomer threatened with a series of submission attempts in the opening round, looking close to securing the finish from Hughes’ back on multiple instances. But the Fortis MMA representative defended and persevered, putting it on the exhausted Amorim over the final 10 minutes to secure the win.
After dropping a decision to Piera Rodriguez last time out, Hughes gets herself back into the win column and moves to 3-1 in the UFC since moving to Dallas, handing Amorim the first loss of her career in the process. | Official Scorecards
