Despite a 3-0 record vs. Adesanya, Pereira is not the favorite in his first title defense.
For the fourth time in their combat sports careers, and the second time in the UFC, Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya will face off against each other. Pereira is now 3-0 against the former champion, with two victories coming in the Glory of Heroes kickboxing promotion. In their last bout, “Poatan” once again was victorious, defeating “Stylebender” via stoppage in the fifth round to claim the UFC middleweight title. Despite his dominance over Adesanya, the oddsmakers at SI Sportsbook have Pereira (+115) as the underdog as he attempts to defend his title for the first time.
Saturday, April 7, 2023
Kaseya Center, Miami, Fla.
Early Prelims 6 p.m. ET
Jaqueline Amorim (-250) vs. Sam Hughes (+205)
Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (-190) vs. Steve Garcia (+155)
Ignacio Bahamondes (-350) vs. Trey Ogden (+275)
Cynthia Calvillo (+240) vs. Loopy Godinez (-300)
Prelims 8 p.m. ET
Karl Williams (-450) vs. Chase Sherman (+350)
Gerald Meerschaert (+165) vs. Joe Pyfer (-200)
Michelle Waterson-Gomez (+140) vs. Luana Pinheiro (-170)
Chris Curtis (+110) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (-135)
Main Card 10 p.m. ET
Raul Rosas Jr. (-250) vs. Christian Rodriguez (+205)
Kevin Holland (-250) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (+205)
Rob Font (+155) vs. Adrian Yanez (-190)
Gilbert Burns (-450) vs. Jorge Masvidal (+350)
Alex Pereira (+115) vs. Israel Adesanya (-140)
Jessica Alcheh/USA Today Sports
SI Writer Gilberto Manzano
It’s fair to debate whether the official stopped the bout too soon during the previous meeting, but that was one of a handful of times that Pereira rocked Adesanya during their first UFC clash. Pereira also recorded a knockout victory versus the Last Stylebender during their second kickboxing bout. Sure, Adesanya has the better skills and he’s comfortable fighting at 185 pounds, but it’s worth betting on the Brazilian's knockout power.
BET: Pereira via KO/TKO (+210)
SI Producer Doug Vazquez
People have been counting out Gilbert Burns for the entirety of his MMA career. He’s a fighter that will take any fight at any time – as proven when he took on one of the most feared fighters on the planet in Khamzat Chimaev on short notice. While he ultimately lost a decision, it was the most tested Chimaev had ever been and he followed up the decision loss with a decisive submission win over Neil Magny. Jorge Masdival presents Burns with a different set of challenges in the standup game but I expect “Durinho” to be well prepared with a full camp and the added motivation of knowing that even with a win, he will be at least one fight away from a title shot (Dana White has made it clear that regardless of who wins Burns-Masdival, Colby Covington will be next in line to get a shot at Leon Edwards for the 170-pound title. I like Burns to get the win here and also like a small stab at him to win via KO.
BET: Burns under 2.5 rounds (-135), Burns via KO (+300)
SI Video’s Julian Pinto
I’m really paying attention to the Kelvin Gastelum matchup as this fight – unless he goes down to 170 – will basically serve as a litmus test to determine whether his skills warrant a spot on the UFC roster. Chris Curtis is as game as they come and three of his four wins in the UFC have come by KO or TKO. Gastelum’s chin and overall durability haven’t been the same, and I think Curtis will overwhelm him and get the finish.
BET: Curtis via KO (+300)
