“We’ll undoubtedly be coming again to Miami,” White stated on the pre-fight press convention on the newly named Kaseya Center on Thursday. “Last time we got here to Miami was 20 years in the past, and we did a gate of like $446,000…We got here again this time, and we did one of many all-time largest gates. This is the most important gate outdoors of Las Vegas and outdoors The Garden.”
The UFC has held fights in different venues in South Florida over time, together with on the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood in 2015 and the BB&T Center in Sunrise in 2019. However, this weekend marks the blended martial arts championship’s first return to Miami-Dade County since April 25, 2003, when Matt Hughes defeated Sean Sherk in a bid for the welterweight title on the former American Airlines Arena.
During the UFC287 primary occasion, Alex Pereira shall be defending his middleweight title in a rematch in opposition to Israel Adesanya. Last November, Pereira seized the title from Adesanya after knocking him out within the fifth and closing spherical at Madison Square Garden in New York. Until then, Adesanya was beating Pereira on all three of the judges’ scorecards.
For many locals, all eyes shall be on the co-main occasion that may function welterweights Gilbert Burns and the so-called “King of Miami,” Jorge Masvidal, who was born and raised in South Florida.
This shall be Masvidal’s first struggle since he allegedly punched his former-training-partner-turned-rival Colby Covington (who additionally resides in Miami) outdoors Papi Steak in Miami Beach on March 21, 2022 — simply two weeks after Covington defeated Masvidal on the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Masvidal is now going through felony prices of aggravated battery and prison mischief.
“When Miami sees me, they lose their thoughts as a result of I’m town, bro,” Masvidal informed ESPN. “I’m Miami-Dade, you recognize?”
For those that weren’t in a position to snag tickets, the early prelims are at 6 p.m. on UFC Fight Pass, the prelims are at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN+, and the primary card is at 10 p.m. on ESPN+.