Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

3 Reasons You Need to Watch UFC 287

This content was produced in partnership with ESPN+.

The UFC took a hiatus last weekend after hosting two big pay-per-view events in March, but the world’s leading MMA league is back in action for April with UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 getting the month off to a great start. As a numbered event, you can be sure to see the best talent and the most high-stakes matchups on Saturday’s fight card, so you’ve got plenty of reasons to watch UFC 287. If you still need some convincing, though, then read on to see the top three reasons to grab your PPV ticket so you can tune in to UFC 287 this weekend.

Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 (But Really 4)

Israel Adesanya holding the UFC Middleweight Championship belt.
Carmen Mandato/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

It goes without saying that the headlining fight between Alex “Poatan” Pereira and Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya is the big draw of this event. UFC 287 is billed as Pereira vs. Adesanya 2, and the main event is a rematch for the UFC Middleweight Championship. The pair met last November at UFC 281, where Pereira unseated the champion Adesanya via fifth-round knockout to claim the title. This marked The Last Stylebender’s first defeat at middleweight and only his second UFC loss overall — one that must have stung doubly since Adesanya lost the belt that he had successfully defended five times before.

However, UFC 287 is the second meeting between Pereira and Adesanya during their time in the UFC. It’s the fourth actual meeting between the two fighters, who have a history between them that stretches back to April 2016. Both men came to MMA from kickboxing and their strike-heavy stand-up styles reflect this. Adesanya and Pereira first faced off at Glory of Heroes 1 in April 2016, where the Brazilian won by unanimous decision. Their rematch at Glory of Heroes 7 the following March resulted in Adesanya losing again, this time via third-round knockout.

That means that Pereira has bested Adesanya not once, but three times, which is no small feat given The Last Stylebender’s impressive run in professional MMA. Adesanya will be highly motivated to reclaim his belt, and perhaps more importantly, to finally beat the one fighter who has consistently given him trouble throughout his career in combat sports.

More UFC

Can Masvidal Pull off a Much-Needed Comeback?

Although the middleweight championship rematch is the main attraction, the co-headliner is another good reason to watch UFC 287. Before Adesanya and Pereira step into the Octagon, two of the UFC’s biggest names in the welterweight division, Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns, will do their ring-walks. Masvidal and Burns are no doubt excellent fighters, but the two combatants have had some trouble recently. Burns, for his part, has won three of his last five matchups and has racked up a professional MMA record of 21-5. He lost to Khazmat Chimaev at UFC 273 via unanimous decision and also stumbled in his first title challenge against Kamaru Usman at UFC 258, where he lost via knockout in the third round. However, Burns did emerge victorious over Neil Magny at his most recent bout at UFC 283 in January.

Masvidal has been having a tougher time. He’s lost his last three fights, including two back-to-back title challenges against former champ Kamaru Usman. Most recently, Masvidal faced Colby Covington at UFC 272 last March, where he lost via unanimous decision. That string of defeats knocked Masvidal down to the 11th spot on the welterweight roster, and at age 38, it seems unlikely that he’ll have time to recover for another shot at a UFC title (his symbolic “BMF” Championship belt notwithstanding). The UFC “BMF” Champion also got into hot water with the law when he apparently assaulted Covington several weeks after their meeting at UFC 272. Masvidal is still facing assault charges for his role in that incident. Even if he manages to pull off a much-needed comeback at UFC 287, the embattled fighter has other challenges awaiting him outside the Octagon.

The UFC Returns to Miami

Admittedly, the third reason to watch UFC 287 isn’t quite as compelling as the first two, but it’s still noteworthy: The UFC’s big April pay-per-view event is being hosted at the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida. It’s a major change of venue as UFC PPV events in the U.S. are typically hosted in Las Vegas. This is only the second time that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has visited Miami, and the first visit since UFC 42: Sudden Impact in 2003. Florida UFC fans are no doubt pumped to see the world’s biggest MMA promotion return to the state after twenty years, and long-time viewers can’t help but reminisce and reflect on how the sport has grown and evolved over the past two decades.

This is a pay-per-view event, though, so you’ll need to sign up for ESPN+ and grab your PPV ticket if you’re planning to watch UFC 287 online on Saturday. The main card (which is the pay-per-view portion of the show) begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT this Saturday, April 8.

Editors' Recommendations

Lucas Coll
Lucas Coll is a freelance commerce and affiliate writer for The Manual and our tech-focused brother site, Digital Trends…
Peña vs Nunes 2 is Headlining UFC 277 — Here’s What Happened Last Time
ufc 277 pena vs nunes rematch 2

UFC 277 is coming this Saturday, bringing one of the most exciting and interesting rematches of 2022 as the main event. Newly crowned UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña will defend her title for the first time against former bantamweight and current women's featherweight champ Amanda Nunes, following their last encounter at UFC 269 which resulted in one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. If you didn't catch the action last time, read on to learn more about the history between these two fighters, and then be sure to sign up for ESPN+ and grab the UFC 277 PPV bundle deal so you don't miss a thing this weekend.

Amanda "The Lioness" Nunes is one of those UFC stars who hardly needs an introduction. Widely considered to be the best female MMA fighter in the world, the 34 year-old Brazilian is the first woman to hold UFC championships in two divisions and is the first and only champ to have successfully defended and retained two titles while still holding them. Nunes currently holds a record of 21 wins and five losses, and remains the number one-ranked female bantamweight fighter.

Read more
What Channel is UFC on Tonight? Tune in to UFC 276 Live
ufc 276 time adesanya vs  cannonier

UFC 276: Adesanya vs. Cannonier is happening tonight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This is July's big UFC pay-per-view event, so you'll need ESPN+ if you want to watch UFC 276, but you have some other options for streaming the preliminary bouts. Here what channel the UFC is on tonight.

What Channel is the UFC on Tonight?
The UFC 276 main card is the pay-per-view portion of this event, and as of now, the only way to watch UFC pay-per-view shows in the U.S. is via ESPN+. This is a paid streaming service, so if you want to watch UFC 276 online tonight, you'll have to pony up the cash for both ESPN+ and your UFC 276 PPV ticket. On the bright side, new subscribers can take advantage of a one-time bundle deal that includes a one-year ESPN+ subscription and the UFC 276 pay-per-view package for $100, which is a nice $45 savings.

Read more
What Time is the UFC Fight Tonight? UFC 276 Schedule
ufc 276 time adesanya vs  cannonier

UFC 276 is happening tonight, with 12 fights spread across three cards, and two championship contests serving as the main attractions. Fans can expect a long and bloody night of MMA action that should run well past midnight. If you don't want to miss one minute of the action and are planning to watch the UFC 276 live stream online in its entirety, or if you don't plan on watching the preliminary matchups and just want to know when the main card fights are happening, here's the all-important UFC 276 time.

UFC 276 is a pay-per-view event, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship typically runs one of these per month with few exceptions. These UFC PPV events almost always feature at least a dozen matchups, which are divided among three cards: early prelims, prelims, and main card. The main card is, as you'd expect, the main event. This comprises the pay-per-view portion of the show.

Read more