UFC 287 rundown: Adesanya needed Pereira rivalry to get his swagger back
Israel Adesanya recaptured the UFC middleweight title on Saturday, defeating Alex Pereira with a stunning second-round knockout in the UFC 287 main event in Miami.
In the co-main event, Gilbert Burns sent welterweight star Jorge Masvidal into retirement with a lopsided decision win.
Here are four takeaways from the pay-per-view card.
Pereira brings out the best in Adesanya
Adesanya's undefeated streak at middleweight ended just five months ago at the hands of Pereira, a stunning loss that also could've been the end of the Adesanya era for good. But now, after regaining the title and finally beating Pereira on the fourth try, Adesanya's stock might be higher than it's ever been.
This win was reminiscent of some of his earlier performances in the UFC - bold finishes against the likes of Paulo Costa, Robert Whittaker, and Derek Brunson, in which Adesanya took risks, stood out from the crowd, and ultimately made a statement. The Costa win in particular seemed to be a star-making night for "The Last Stylebender." However, as he continued his run as champion, and as more and more tape on him was available for his challengers to watch and study, his title defenses grew safer. More lackluster. More forgettable.
We didn't know it at the time, but Adesanya needed someone like Pereira. He needed to be challenged. Pereira is bigger and more physical than Adesanya, essentially just as technical in the striking department, and he had the mental edge of having beaten him twice in kickboxing. Adesanya couldn't just pick apart Pereira - he tried last November and we saw what happened. He had to take risks against Pereira. After seeing their two MMA bouts play out the way they did, it's safe to say Pereira brought the best out of Adesanya.
Pereira was the one cloud hanging over Adesanya's first title reign, the boogeyman hiding in the shadows, ready to pounce when the time was right. After Pereira took the UFC middleweight title and beat Adesanya for a third overall time, we thought maybe he had his number. That the man seemingly destined for all-time greatness would forever be halted by his kickboxing nemesis.
But a special fighter doesn't go away that easily. And Adesanya is as special as they come - that became even more true after Saturday.
The Adesanya-Pereira rivalry isn't over
As much as Adesanya proved his doubters wrong and rose to the occasion at UFC 287, he still has unfinished business with Pereira.
They're tied at one victory apiece in MMA, and Pereira has the 3-1 edge if you count his kickboxing wins. Let's also not forget Pereira had the momentum before Adesanya's finish. In fact, it started looking like the beginning of the end for Adesanya, that November nightmare replaying all over again. Pereira backed him up against the cage and landed multiple heavy shots, but then Adesanya landed a rope-a-dope for the ages to shut out Pereira's lights and change the course of their rivalry in the blink of an eye.
Adesanya said postfight he settled the score, but did he really?
If there were a handful of intriguing options for his next title defense, then I'd be more open to Pereira having to take a fight - and get back in the win column - before doing the trilogy bout. Adesanya is right in saying that he clearly deserved an immediate rematch because he had five successful title defenses, and that it's less clear with Pereira since this was his first title defense and just his fifth fight in the UFC. But are we going to pretend the Whittaker trilogy fight is a better option? Or Khamzat Chimaev, who hasn't beaten a ranked middleweight?
There just aren't many deserving candidates at 185 pounds right now, so the obvious fight to make - even if UFC president Dana White thinks Pereira is headed up to light heavyweight - is Adesanya versus Pereira 3 (or 5). Two freaks of nature at their best for all the marbles. Every time they fight, it's a different result - and entertainment at its finest. Book it.
Retirement right call for Masvidal
Twenty years and 52 fights into his professional MMA career, this was the right time for Masvidal to call it a career.
Burns was a heavy betting favorite to beat Masvidal, and he showed why in their fight. He outworked him on the feet and on the ground en route to a clear-cut win, and it's obvious that Masvidal can no longer contend with the best of the best at 170 pounds.
He could've stuck around for a few more paydays and some fun fights (maybe the Kevin Holland matchup or a rematch with Stephen Thompson), but Masvidal doesn't need the money. He made a lot in big fights against Kamaru Usman, Nate Diaz, and Colby Covington. He's also a fight promoter now, recently holding his Gamebred Boxing 4 event in Milwaukee, which featured a main event between boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. and former UFC champion Anthony Pettis. Masvidal said postfight he's a multimillionaire and is "good for life."
By hanging up his gloves after the Burns fight, Masvidal got to bid farewell from where it all started two decades ago: his hometown of Miami. Except this time it was in a sold-out arena, not on the streets. Happy trails to "Gamebred," a one-of-a-kind fighter.
Font's Y'all Must've Forgot moment
It seemed like everybody was counting out Rob Font in his fight with Adrian Yanez. People were treating the veteran bantamweight as a stepping stone, the fight a formality before up-and-comer Yanez became the latest contender in the division.
Not so fast. Sometimes the old dog teaches the new guard a lesson, and that's what happened in the fight. Font used a flurry of strikes, punctuated by a brutal right hand, to knock Yanez out in a wild first round. Font didn't use words in the Octagon, but you could tell the message he was trying to send was, 'Y'all Must've Forgot!'
Heading in, the 35-year-old was riding a two-fight skid and had been winless since May 2021, so it's understandable why people were favoring the surging Yanez to walk away with the biggest win of his career. Yanez was 5-0 in the UFC with four knockouts. But in one of the most important fights of his career, Font proved that he is still one of the best bantamweights in the world.