UFC 287 LIVE: Adesanya knocks out Pereira – result
Follow the fallout: Adesanya regains the middleweight belt from long-time rival Pereira, after Jorge Masvidal retires with a loss to Gilbert Burns
Israel Adesanya knocked Alex Pereira out cold to regain the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 287.
It was the fourth fight between the pair, with Pereira beating Adesanya twice in kickboxing before following the Nigerian-New Zealander into mixed martial arts, where he took Adesanya’s UFC title with a TKO in November.
But at the fourth time of asking, Adesanya finally beat his long-time rival, freezing Pereira with a right hook in Round 2 before dropping the champion with a one-two and finishing the fight with a hammer fist.
In the co-main event, Jorge Masvidal suffered a points loss to Gilbert Burns before retiring from MMA. Masvidal, in front of a home crowd in Miami, called time on a 20-year career and praised former US president Donald Trump, who was ringside.
Trump sat in the front row with Mike Tyson and UFC president Dana White, and the Miami-Dade Arena crowd erupted when the 76-year-old arrived.
Re-live updates and see full results from UFC 287, below. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos.
UFC 287 LIVE: Kevin Holland knocks out Santiago Ponzinibbio
Kevin Holland def. Santiago Ponzinibbio via third-round KO (punches, 3:16).
UFC 287 LIVE: Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio
Round 3
HOLLAND WITH THE FINISH! He catches a kick, comes over the top with a right cross, then tags Ponzinibbio with a left hook after the Argentine spins around!
Ponzinibbio falls face first, eats a few more punches, and the referee waves it off! Ponzinibbio comes to and complains, but that was a good stoppage.
UFC 287 LIVE: Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio
Round 3
Ponzinibbio fires off two hard low kicks, early in this final round. Another one, and Holland felt that for sure.
Holland responds with kicks of his own – one to the leg, one to the body.
More leg kicks from Ponzinibbio, while Holland misses with wide left hooks.
UFC 287 LIVE: Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio
Round 2
Again Ponzinibbio catches a kick, but this time it’s him who follows up with a back fist! No connection, though.
Now the Argentine drives Holland to the fence, but he can’t hold him there for long.
UFC 287 LIVE: Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio
Before this fight, Robbie Lawler’s classic against Rory MacDonald was inducted into the fight wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.
UFC 287 LIVE: Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio
For what it’s worth, Verdict MMA’s global scorecard agreed with the judges that Christian Rodriguez was a worthy winner over Raul Rosas Jr.
UFC 287 LIVE: Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio
Round 1
Holland keeps looking for a left hook as Ponzinibbio steps into range. Holland has the height advantage, but the Argentine is the thicker man.
Big left hook from Ponzinibbio now.
He grabs a kick by Holland, and the American smashes Ponzinibbio with a back fist!!
Ponzinibbio drops to the mat but survives to the buzzer, with just a few seconds left on the clock when he ate that strike! Wow!
UFC 287 LIVE: Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio
Next up is Kevin Holland vs Santiago Ponzinibbio at welterweight.
Holland and Jorge Masvidal, who fights in tonight’s co-main event, were separated by security at a hotel in Miami on Wednesday.
Full story:
Jorge Masvidal and fellow fighter separated by security before UFC 287
The pair were separated by security at the fighters’ hotel in Miami, where UFC 287 takes place on Saturday
UFC 287 LIVE: Donald Trump sits in front row as crowd cheers ex-president
Donald Trump was greeted by huge cheers as he sat in the front row at UFC 287 on Saturday night, alongside Mike Tyson and Dana White in the Miami-Dade Arena.
Former US president Trump is known to have a friendship with UFC president White and has attended numerous events staged by the mixed martial arts promotion.
Trump was also visited by UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal earlier this week. Miami native Masvidal, who is on the UFC 287 card, visited Trump at the ex-president’s home in Mar-a-Lago after attending one of the 76-year-old’s rallies.
This week, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records around hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Crowd erupts as Donald Trump sits in front row at UFC 287
The former US president is known to be friends with UFC president White
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