UFC 287 Main Card Picks
Pereira’s offensive and defensive kicking game has also given Adesanya problems. Defensively, Pereira has stuffed Adesanya’s leg kicks with excellent checking. Offensively, Pereira landed a crippling calf kick on Adesanya in their most recent UFC fight, which diminished Adesanya’s movement and resulted in poor ringcraft. Adesanya spent the later rounds standing near the fence, which kept him inside of Pereira’s punching range and prevented him from managing distance properly. It was along the fence that Pereira landed his fight-finishing combination, which included a powerful left hook that badly hurt Adesanya. In the fifth round, Pereira out-struck Adesanya 28 to 9 in total significant strikes landed, 18 of which were to the head.
MAIN EVENT DEEP DIVE: UFC 287 Breakdown | MMA Coaches Discuss The Rematch
Leading up to their rematch, the stoic Pereira has been subtly trolling Adesanya on social media, which has gotten Adesanya’s attention.
Despite Pereira going 3-0 against Adesanya in combat sports fights, Pereira still comes into this matchup as the underdog onDraftKings Sportsbook. Pereira to win is +115 on the moneyline, andPereira to win via finish is +215.
Adesanya did have early success against Pereira in their recent UFC fight. Adesanya wobbled Pereira at the end of Round 1, and had more time been on the clock, Pereira could have been in huge trouble. Adesanya was also winning three rounds to one on all three of the judges’ scorecards heading into the final round, and Pereira needed a late finish to win the fight.
However, Pereira has the clear edge in power, which has ultimately separated the two fighters and gives Pereira more margin for error. Pereira’s camp has also talked about being more aggressive in this fight to avoid falling behind on the judges’ scorecards. In addition, Adesanya’s quick turnaround after getting finished by strikes is also concerning—Adesanya has taken less than five months off between fights. Getting Pereira at plus money on the moneyline is an appealing pick in a matchup nightmare for Adesanya.
Same Game Parlay (SGP) to Consider
Alex Pereira Moneyline
Most Significant Strikes: Alex Pereira
Most Knockdowns: Alex Pereira
SGP odds: +350 ($100 bet pays $450)
- Find a fight that has the SGP icon in the top-left corner.
- Toggle “Same Game Parlay” on. Once it’s on, all available bets will appear.
- Build your Same Game Parlay. Combine multiple bets together from one fight. The more bets you combine, the more you can win.
- Place your parlay. Add your Same Game Parlay to your bet slip, enter your wager amount, and submit your bet.
