Almost time for UFC 287 Miami with locally trained Amorim, Burns, Masvidal and Ponzinibbio
UFC fighter Gilbert Burns won’t have to worry about being on time for his welterweight bout against the tough combatant Jorge Masvidal, because he will be wearing his new Timex.
Burns is the newest brand ambassador for Timex, the top watch-selling company in the United States. Timex hooked him up with plenty of options — casual to sports to business.
Burns shared the wealth, gifting watches to his trainers and some of the fighters at Kill Cliff FC, where he trains in Deerfield Beach.
Timex became the first official timekeeper and watch partner of UFC.
Here is my video interview with Burns.
Burns is preparing for his big fight against Miami’s Masvidal on Saturday at Miami-Dade Arena. It’s the first time in 20 years UFC is in Miami.
ATT at UFC 287 Miami
American Top Team in (South Florida) Coconut Creek will be well represented for UFC 287 in Miami.
Plenty of ATT fighters on the card, and many more will be in attendance supporting their teammates.
Jorge Masvidal (35-16) is in the co-main event in a welterweight clash with Gilbert Burns (21-5) of Kill Cliff FC (formerly Sanford MMA and before that Hard Knocks 365) in Deerfield Beach, about seven miles from ATT. For these two established warriors, it’s an important matchup with possible title shot ramifications.
Read more about Masvidal with my video interview with him discussing UFC 287 and more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/fighting/article272601829.html
‘The Argentine Dagger’ at UFC 287 Miami
Teammate Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-6), also a welterweight, is on the main card against Kevin Holland (23-9). Win, lose or draw, Ponzinibbio brings it, delivering an exciting fighting style and thus exciting fights.
Here is my video interview with “The Argentine Dagger” Santiago Ponzinibbio.
From La Plata, Argentina, the 36-year-old Ponzinibbio has one of the coolest fighting nicknames “The Argentine Dagger,” and he lives up to it. He is 2-2 in his last four fights, dropping two tough split decisions (Geoff Neal and Michel Pereira), winning one tremendous bout by unanimous decision over Miguel Baeza and posting the win in his last fight in December against Alex Morono by knockout.
Ponzinibbio went 18–1 in the Latin America regional circuit before trying out for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2 in 2013. He reached the semifinals but broke his hand in that win, so he could not compete in the finals. Impressing the company, he made his UFC debut later in 2013. During his UFC career, he earned Performance of the Night three times and Fight of the Night three times.
Holland, 30, is from California, born in Riverside. After compiling an amateur record of 5–0, he began his professional MMA career in 2015. He competed for Xtreme Knockout, Legacy Fighting Championship, King of the Cage, Bellator MMA, Legacy Fighting Alliance, amassing a 12–3 record, prior to his signing with UFC in 2018. He also appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series 9.
Holland is also 2-2 in his last four fights, dropping the last two (Stephen Thompson and Khamzat Chimaev), after beating Tim Mears and Alex Oliveira.
UFC 287 Miami opener
In the first match on the card, former LFA champ Jacqueline Amorim (6-0) of ATT will open the show in an early prelim strawweight battle against Sam Hughes (7-5) from Dallas.
Here is my video interview with Amorim as she discusses this opportunity at UFC 287, her journey and training at American Top Team, Brazil, jiu-jitsu, dad, South Florida, soccer and more.
From Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, the 27-year-old Amorim began her combat sports career with jiu-jitsu at age 5. Her father a huge fan of UFC and Royce Gracie, she planned to transition to MMA.
She won championships in IBJJF, UAEJJF and CBJJ and then made the move to MMA where she won an LFA title. A strawweight, UFC then signed her in September 2022, making her, and her family very proud, especially her father.
Born in Davenport, Iowa, Hughes grew up in South Carolina, where she starred in cross-country and track & field, competing for Wofford College and the University of South Carolina at the NCAA Division I level.
Hughes, 30, fought for the inaugural LFA women’s strawweight championship on July 17, 2020 at LFA 85. losing to Vanessa Demopoulos. She has won 2 of her last 3 fights and is 2-4 in UFC. Her last fight Oct. 15, 2022, losing to Piera Rodríguez.
UFC 287 in Miami
A UFC middleweight championship rematch headlines UFC 287 at Miami-Dade Arena with champ Alex Pereira (7-1) facing former champ Israel Adesanya (23-2).
Miami-Dade Arena is home to the three-time NBA champion Miami Heat.
The main card at 10 p.m. EST is on ESPN+. The prelims at 8 p.m. EST is on ESPN and ESPN+. The early prelims at 6 p.m. EST are on UFC Fight Pass.
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