What’s Next for Every Fighter After UFC 287

By Evan Theoharis | April 12, 2023 9:32 am ET Follow @EvanTheoharis6

Via sportskeeda.com

UFC 287 was absolutely insane and will go down as an instant classic! It seemed as though every fight on the card was entertaining, whether they had a highlight reel finish or were a three round war. In this article, I will be going over what the UFC should do with each fighter their next time out!

Main Event: Israel Adesanya defeats Alex Pereira via second round KO to become the new UFC Middleweight Champion.

What’s Next:

-Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira 3

This seems like a pretty obvious answer, and something all of us want to see. With this being arguably the greatest rivalry across all combat sports, it seems only fair to have them complete the trilogy inside the octagon. There are rumors that Pereira will just move up to the Light Heavyweight Division, but I feel like a third meeting is necessary between the two to prove who is really the true king of the middleweights.

Co-Main event: Gilbert Burns defeats Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision.

What’s Next:

-Gilbert Burns vs Kamaru Usman 2

-Jorge Masvidal retirement

After defeating Jorge Masvidal in the co-main event, Gilbert Burns stated that he wanted a title shot, but he is also known for staying active and fighting anyone the UFC puts in front of him. It seems like all signs are pointing towards Colby Covington being the next to challenge Leon Edwards, so in the meantime, Burns is in need of an opponent. I believe Burns proved he shouldn’t be fed another fighter lower than him in the rankings, so why not let him try to avenge his loss to Kamaru Usman.

Jorge Masvidal’s answer is far more obvious, as he himself announced his retirement after his loss to Burns. Masvidal had an excellent career inside the octagon, and I am glad that Masvidal is taking the smart choice by stepping away before the losses start to tarnish his legacy.

Fight 10: Rob Font defeats Adrian Yanez by first round TKO

What’s Next:

-Rob Font vs Petr Yan

-Adrian Yanez vs Jonathan Martinez

Rob Font proved why he should still be considered a threat in the stacked Bantamweight Division by defeating rising star Adrian Yanez, but it is still hard to pick an opponent for. It is hard to know whether or not the UFC will use him as a gatekeeper again, and in that case, I could see a potential match-up with Umar Numragomedov, but I believe Font will get another test against a top opponent. Font and Yan are both on relatively the same timeline right now, so it makes sense to put them against one another in a fight that could easily main event a fight night.

Although Yanez was finished inside the first round by Font, he still had his moments where he looked like a capable contender. I believe that the major problem for Yanez in this fight was the huge step-up in competition. Yanez could be a problem in this division, but I think he still needs some experience against lower ranked contenders, and I believe the perfect opponent is the rising Jonathan Martinez.

Fight Nine: Kevin Holland defeats Santiago Ponzinibbio by third round KO

What’s Next:

-Kevin Holland vs Neil Magny

-Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Michael Morales

Despite getting pieced apart by Ponzinibbio’s leg kicks, Holland controlled most of the fight and was able to finish the fight by knockout in the third round. That performance is one that, I believe, could warrant Holland a fight with a top 15 contender, and who better than Neil Magny? Magny suffered a tough loss to Gilbert Burns his last time out, and now the UFC matchmakers could feed him someone who may not look to grapple him throughout the entire fight. These two should put on a very entertaining fight and the winner would be in line for a top 10 opponent their next time out.

Unfortunately for Ponzinibbio, this fight didn’t go the way he wanted, and I expect him to now be used as a veteran gatekeeper for surging prospects. The prospect I have in mind is Michael Morales. This fight will stand as a massive test to see if Morales will be able to hang with the top fighters in the division, and will test how much Ponzinibbio has left in the tank.

Fight Eight: Christian Rodriguez defeats Raul Rosas Jr. by Unanimous Decision

What’s Next:

-Christian Rodriguez vs Tony Gravely

-Raul Rosas Jr. vs Rinya Nakamura

Christian Rodriguez looked like a seasoned veteran outclassing a kid on Saturday night, and now he should fight another veteran. The veteran who fits that bill is Tony Gravely. Gravely is on a two fight losing skid and may need a win his next time out to stay a part of this promotion. A win for either of the two in this potential future matchup could have huge implications in their career.

Rosas had a less than stellar performance at UFC 287, so some may say it is best to give him an easy matchup, but I am not one of them. If the UFC has a strong belief in Rosas then they should give him a shot at another promising prospect. Nakamura looked stellar in his UFC debut, where he was able to win by KO in only 33 seconds. This could be a highly promoted fight between two top prospects that could easily bring in mass revenue.

Fight Seven: Kelvin Gastelum defeats Chris Curtis by Unanimous Decision

What’s Next:

-Kelvin Gastelum vs Roman Dolidze

-Chris Curtis vs Nassouridne Imavov

Fight Six: Luana Pinheiro defeats Michelle Waterson-Gomez by Split Decision

What’s Next:

-Luana Pinheiro vs Tecia Torres

-Michelle Waterson vs Loma Lookboonme

Fight Five: Joe Pyfer defeats Gerald Meerschaert by first round TKO

What’s Next:

-Joe Pyfer vs Gregory Rodrigues

-Gerald Meerscharet vs Jun Yong Park