Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira will meet again in a title rematch on April 9 at UFC 287, held at the Miami‑Dade Arena in Miami, Florida. Their first encounter at UFC 281 ended dramatically when Pereira secured a technical knockout in the fifth round, overturning Adesanya’s lead on the scorecards and capturing the middleweight title. The bout showcased two of combat sports’ finest kickboxers, with Pereira’s relentless pressure and heavy hands ultimately prevailing over “The Last Stylebender.”
Pereira’s victory also extended his unofficial head‑to‑head advantage over Adesanya to 3‑0, having previously defeated the Nigerian‑born fighter twice in kickboxing. UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, speaking to MMA Junkie, expressed confidence that the result will repeat itself. “I believe Pereira’s going to win again. There’s some athletes that just have other athletes’ number. He works hard and I’m rooting for him. I believe he’s going to do it again,” Jones said.
The UFC 287 card is stacked, featuring a co‑main event in which welterweight veteran Jorge Masvidal returns to the Octagon to face Gilbert Burns.
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