"Middleweight Championship on the Line at UFC 287: Adesanya and Pereira to Meet Again"
Pereira and Adesanya will once again face off in the octagon, as the title is up for grabs in the main event of UFC 287 on April 8th. President Dana White announced the rematch on Friday. In addition to Pereira vs. Adesanya 2, the UFC 287 card will also feature a unique welterweight attraction, as Gilbert Burns welcomes Masvidal back to the sport after a year of absence. Pereira will make his first title defense, after a stunning comeback to knock out Adesanya in their previous encounter in November. Pereira previously held two victories over Adesanya in kickboxing, including a brutal knockout in their second fight, which set the stage for their showdown in the UFC. Now, Pereira will look to maintain his unbeaten streak against Adesanya on, while Adesanya will seek venge the only person to hand him a defeat at middleweight in the UFC. Meanwhile, Burns will finally get the chance to face off with Masvidal after the welterweights both called for that matchup through various interviews, but the fight never came together. What started as a respectful exchange eventually transformed into a heated rivalry, with Burns and Masvidal both firing at each other over social media. They will look to settle their disputes in April. Also announced for UFC 287, welterweights Holland and Ponzinibbio will clash on the main card, along with previously announced fights pitting Rosas Jr. against Rodriguez and Font taking on Adrian Yanez.