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GILBERT BURNS VS JORGE MASVIDAL FACTS
When is UFC 287? Saturday 9th April, 2023 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 287? Miami-Dade Arena, Miami, Florida (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 287? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 286
What channel is UFC 287 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 287? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
GILBERT BURNS VS JORGE MASVIDAL LOWDOWN
It is great to see Gilbert Burns (21-5) make a quick turnaround. He entered January 1-2 in his last three getting TKO’d in his title fight with Kamaru Usman (2021) and losing a decision in that epic war with Khamzat Chimaev (2022) which sandwiched his points win over Stephen Thompson (2021). He met veteran Neil Magny at the start of the year with a lot to prove and steamrolled him cinching up an arm triangle in the first round.
It seems those three spectacular knockouts over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in 2019 have left Jorge Masvidal (35-16) with nothing left to prove regardless of how often he loses. He is coming off two title fight losses to Usman getting outpointed on short notice in 2020 and then clinically knocked out in 2021. He last fought over a year ago losing a unanimous decision in his grudge match with Colby Covington and now needs a vintage performance to keep his title hopes alive.
GILBERT BURNS VS JORGE MASVIDAL PREDICTION
Masvidal believes his wrestling is good enough to avoid being taken down and held up against the fence which will create the space he needs to unleash his superior striking. He is elite on the feet and has the power to switch the lights off so Burns needs to be immaculate.
Burns is a dangerous striker himself, but he needs to rely on his strengths to tie Masvidal up, get him on his back and display his world class jiu-jitsu. Masvidal’s grappling defence is phenomenal. We back him to defend the majority of takedown attempts but that does not mean he will not get subdued in the clinch.
Over three rounds, we back Masvidal to avoid landing on his back and getting submitted but Burns is a leech and will latch on like a vice not letting him breathe. So, Masvidal needs to start quickly to threaten that knockout blow.
Burns knows how to disarm an elite striker and we expect a similar performance to that against Thompson. Considering the odds and how dangerous Masvidal is at all ranges, he is well worth a punt, but we are backing the Brazilian.
Prediction: Burns via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value bet: Masvidal via KO/TKO