UFC 287 Main Event: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 Expert Picks, Betting Odds

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 04 April 2023

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira: Professional Records

Before we examine the odds and possible outcomes of this upcoming bout, let’s examine the histories of these two athletes and how their story has evolved over the years. Despite Pereira holding three wins over Adesanya, the latter holds a much better kickboxing record and may even be the more skilled fighter of the two. Adesanya holds a record of a massive 75 wins and four losses in kickboxing. Two of his four losses were at the hands of Pereira, who, on the other hand, holds a 33-7 record in kickboxing. Of his 33 victories, 21 were via knockout. While Pereira may have more losses than Adesanya, he holds a significantly higher percentage of knockouts.

With the transition to MMA, both fighters largely preserved their fighting styles with a few adjustments. Much like in kickboxing, Pereira relies on his knockout power to walk his opponents down and counter-strike to land heavy blows, any of which could score a knockout.

Adesanya employs a fighting technique dependent on range and evasion. He uses his long limbs to maintain distance from his opponents and is comfortable staying on the outside and winning by points. However, this technique is effective only against shorter opponents with less reach. Adesanya has struggled with larger opponents, and Pereira holds a significant advantage in the height and reach departments. He is six feet, four inches tall, and has an 80-inch reach, while Adesanya matches these figures on paper. However, it’s clear who the bigger, taller man is when the two are standing face to face, and it would be safe to conclude that Pereira negates Adesanya’s reach advantage with his sheer size.

Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira: History and Timeline

The two faced off for the first time in 2016, when they fought at GLORY of Heroes 1, in China. The fight went to the judges for a decision, with Adesanya out-striking Pereira but unable to capitalize and score any real damage toward the end. Controversially, the judges gave the fight to Pereira, and both fighters opted for an eventual rematch. Pereira would go on to win the GLORY middleweight title in 2017 and defend it five times. Before his title run, he faced Adesanya a second time at GLORY of Heroes 7, in his home country of Brazil.

Adesanya started the fight aggressively and pushed forward through the first couple of rounds. By the end of the second, it seemed like Adesanya had Pereira on the ropes and was on the verge of avenging his loss, but the referee intervened to give Pereira a standing eight count. As the round ended, Pereira would come back in the third to land a single clean punch to the chin that would shut Adesanya’s lights out. With his first-ever KO loss, Adesanya would begin his transition to MMA, while Pereira would stay in kickboxing to win the GLORY light heavyweight title and become a double champion.

In the UFC, Adesanya would become one of the most prominent champions of the middleweight division. On the other hand, Pereira would fight for the belt after having only three fights in the UFC. His knockout win over Sean Strickland granted him the immediate title shot against Adesanya, who was looking for a chance to redeem himself against ‘Poatan’.

The two would fight on November 12 at UFC 281, and the fight looked much like their second kickboxing match. Adesanya started aggressively and even wobbled Pereira at the end of the first round. As the fight went on, he maintained the distance and dictated the pace of the fight until he stumbled on a leg kick that would compromise his movement. Sensing the opportunity, Pereira advanced and landed a flurry of punches that prompted the referee to step in and stop the fight. With this, Pereira scored his third victory against Adesanya.

UFC 287: Betting Odds and Prediction

Despite having three wins over his opponent, Pereira heads into this fight as a slight underdog at +135 odds. Interestingly, he revealed in an interview that his only three losses in amateur kickboxing came at the hands of the same fighter. He went on to state that he believes that the same fighter could still beat him today, despite no longer actively competing in the sport.

With this in mind, Pereira likely scores the knockout win against Adesanya, simply because he only needs one meaningful punch to land to score the KO. On the other hand, Adesanya will have to fight an uphill battle and stay on the outside to win by points. It’s an interesting choice for those who choose to bet on UFC fights such as this.