The UFC 287 main event and co-main event have been announced.
Earlier today, the UFC released a statement that Dana White had a special announcement to make. Rumors started circulating about White potentially revealing the coaches for the next Ultimate Fighter season, which was offered to Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson. After showing up nearly an hour after expected, the UFC president didn’t discuss TUF, but the news was more intriguing.
White revealed that UFC 287 would be headlined by Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2. There was speculation about Pereira fighting Robert Whittaker next, but ‘The Last Stylebender’ has recovered from his injuries and couldn’t pass up an immediate rematch. ‘Poatan’ became the UFC middleweight champion by dethroning Adesanya at UFC 281 in November.
Meanwhile, the UFC president also announced that Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal will fight in the co-main event on April 8. Burns is getting right back in the gym after defeating Neil Magny six days ago. The number five-ranked welterweight has been calling out Masvidal for several months, and his wish has finally been granted.
UFC 287 is rumored to take place in Miami, Florida, but nothing is confirmed.
Watch Dana White announced the UFC 287 fight card below:
ABSOLUTELY STACKED 🚨@DanaWhite announces the full lineup for #UFC287 in April and it's HUGE! pic.twitter.com/0kPaRTCABA
— UFC (@ufc) January 27, 2023
What other fights are confirmed for UFC 287?
Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2 and Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal has joined the UFC 287 main card that features a highly-anticipated bantamweight matchup between Rob Font and Adrian Yanez, Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs. Luana Pinheiro, Kevin Holland vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio, and Kelvin Gastelum vs. Chris Curtis.
Although there are still several fights expected to be added, the preliminary card currently has six fights – Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lupita Godinez, Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Nikolas Motta, Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Christian Rodriguez, Steve Garcia vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, and Gerald Meerschaert vs. Joseph Pyfer.
UFC 287 has the potential to be one of the best fight cards of the year. From rising contenders (Rosas Jr. and Pyfer) to solidified superstars (Adesanya and Masvidal), the April 8 event is must-see action for MMA fans. The venue has not been announced, but the addition of ‘Gamebred’ furthers the rumors of the event being held in Miami.
