UFC 287 Pereira vs Adesanya 2: Both of These Fighters Stand at an Equal Height

• Israel Adesanya looks to regain the middleweight championship
• Alex Pereira aims to defend his title and remain Adesanya’s personal boogeyman
• Jorge Masvidal returns to action in his hometown of Miami

UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2

The odds for this match are provided by the DraftKings Sportsbook. Click the link to place your bets.

UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 - Picks & Predictions

(C) Alex Pereira vs c - Middleweight championship

Israel Adesanya (-135)

Gilbert Burns vs Jorge Masvidal - Welterweight division

Gilbert Burns (-475)

Rob Font vs Adrian Yanez - Bantamweight division

Adrian Yanez (-180)

Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio - Welterweight division

Kevin Holland (-245)

Raul Rosas Jr. vs Christian Rodriguez - Bantamweight division

Raul Rosas Jr. (-225)

Alex Pereira vs Israel Adesanya - Middleweight Championship

In what will be just his fifth fight for the UFC promotion, Alex Pereira is set to defend his middleweight championship against the man he took it from: Israel Adesanya.

Pereira earned his shot at the title following a first-round knockout win over Sean Strickland at UFC 276. It was his seventh professional win in a row.

Adesanya, who became the undisputed middleweight champion in 2019, defended the belt five times before his first fight with Pereira at UFC 281.

But - technically - this wasn’t his first fight with Pereira as the two had fought twice before in a professional kickboxing competition - with Pereira winning both fights.

In the main event of UFC 281, Adesanya dominated the first four rounds before suffering a TKO loss around the two-minute mark of the fifth and final round. Alex Pereira became the new champion and remained undefeated against Adesanya.

Both of these fighters stand at an equal height. Adesanya will have a one-inch reach advantage. Both men are known for their kickboxing but only Pereira holds a black belt in the discipline.

It seems that Adesanya’s performance in their last bout (up until the TKO, that is) was enough to gain the favor of the oddsmakers, as the former champion is once again listed as the favorite (-135) despite now losing to Pereira on three separate combat-sport occasions.

To find out how to place your bets for this middleweight championship rematch, check out our ultimate UFC betting guide to get started.

Gilbert Burns vs Jorge Masvidal - Welterweight Division

After a year away from action, Jorge Masvidal returns to the octagon this Saturday to fight in his home town of Miami, Florida.

Masvidal has not fought since his unanimous decision loss to Colby Covington at UFC 272 last March. That night marked Masvidal’s third loss in a row.

He takes on Brazilian power puncher and third-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Gilbert Burns - who is currently ranked as the number-five welterweight in the division.

Burns bounced back from his loss to Khamzat Chimaev in 2022 with a dominant first-round submission win over Neil Magny at UFC 283 this past January.

Masvidal will have a height and reach advantage, but Burns’ activity as well as his grappling and striking credentials make it easy for oddsmakers to list him as the biggest betting favorite on the main card at -475.

Rob Font vs Adrian Yanez - Bantamweight Division

A boxer born in Texas that also boasts a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Adrian Yanez has won his last nine fights in a row, including five under the UFC promotional banner.

His last win came against Tony Kelley last June where Yanez earned a first-round TKO.

After winning four fights in a row, Rob Font now finds himself on a two-fight losing streak. He suffered a decision loss to Jose Aldo in 2021 as well as a decision loss to Marlon Vera last April. He has been out of action for a full year.

Despite being at a disadvantage in both height and reach, it is still no surprise that, at -180, Adrian Yanez is expected to take the victory.

Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio - Welterweight Division

The seemingly no longer-retired Kevin Holland returns to action this Saturday, hoping to snap his two-fight losing streak.

Holland lost a last-minute bout against Khamzat Chimaev last September before suffering a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss at the hands of Stephen Thompson last December.

The kung-fu and BJJ black belt takes on Santiago Ponzinibbio - a fellow BJJ black belt who recently snapped his own two-fight skid with a third-round knock-out win over Alex Morono at UFC 282 last December.

Holland will be the taller and longer fighter and is currently listed as the -245 favorite to win.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs Christian Rodriguez - Bantamweight Division

The youngest fighter on the UFC roster, undefeated bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr. made a name for himself when he appeared on the Dana White Contender Series last September and defeated Mando Gutierrez at only 17 years old.

Rosas Jr. made his UFC debut last December and earned a first-round submission win over Jay Perrin at UFC 282.

Unlike his opponent, Christian Rodriguez lost his UFC debut last February to Jonathan Pearce but bounced back in a big way when he submitted Joshua Weems in the first round of their Fight Night bout last October.

Both fighters are unranked, young, and looking to make a statement. Rosas Jr. will stand two inches taller but Rodriguez will have a four-inch reach advantage. 

Despite that edge, it is Rosas Jr. who is listed as the -225 odds-on favorite.

How to Watch UFC F287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2

• LOCATION: Miami-Dade Arena, Miami, Florida
• WHEN: Saturday, April 8
• TIME: 10 PM EST
• HOW: UFC Fight Pass, ESPN+, PPV