UFC 287 prelim tips: A scrap between Kelvin Gastelum and Chris Curtis headlines a strong prelim card
- Liam Hampton
- 8 April 2023
The UFC 287 prelims are full of talent and ranking implications, from a chance to make a statement at middleweight to a ranked contest at women’s strawweight, here are details of all four contests.
Kelvin Gastelum vs Chris Curtis
Two fighters on very different career trajectories square off in the prelim headliner as Kelvin Gastelum and Chris Curtis square off in a middleweight contest with ranking implications.
It's easy to forget just how young Gastelum is, despite competing in the UFC since 2013, he is still only 31 years old and has fought a who's who of names at both middleweight and welterweight.
A mercurial talent who could look like a champion one fight and a novice in another, Gastelum has had issues on the scale in the past leaving him a somewhat undersized middleweight competitor, standing toe to toe with giants.
By contrast, Curtis took the long road to the UFC but now he is here he looks better than ever, defeating the likes of Rodolfo Viera and Joaquin Buckley to land him a 4-1 record in his five UFC contests.
A career spent racking up wins on the regional circuit looked like it would never result in a call from the UFC, especially after he wasn't awarded a contract on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series back in 2018.
But ten fights later Curtis got the call to fight Phil Hawes on the UFC 268 prelims and he never looked back, securing a first-round knockout and signaling the beginning of his UFC career.
A rugged striking affair will be in order when these two square off, they know how to grapple but prefer not to and in each other they find more than willing dance partners to choreograph a great fight.
Key Stats
- Kelvin Gastelum is 1-4 in his last five bouts.
- Chris Curtis has won three of his four UFC fights by KO/TKO.
- Kelvin Gastelum has never been stopped by strikes in his career.
Suggested Bets
- Chris Curtis to win the fight.
Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs Luana Pinheiro
Rankings are at stake in this women's strawweight contest as veteran Michelle Waterson-Gomez takes on the up-and-coming Brazilian Luana Pinheiro.
An accomplished striker with a black belt in karate, Waterson Gomez has been in the UFC since 2015 dazzling crowds with her striking ever since.
Although her striking is clearly her best asset, Waterson-Gomez is no slouch on the ground either sporting a brown belt under Rafael de Freitas and Roberto Alencar, which she has used to great effect in fights against Angela Magana and Paige VanZant.
By contrast Pinheiro is young prospect ready to make waves in the division, at 29 years old and with a 10-1 record, Pinheiro is well positioned to make herself a star at women's strawweight.
A grappling expert with four submissions on her record, Pinheiro's pre-UFC career saw her win six fights in a row by finish, however she is yet to translate that form into the UFC winning her two fights by disqualification and decision respectively.
Form may be on the side of Pinheiro, but her level of competition is nothing compared to who Waterson-Gomez has faced, eight years in the UFC has seen her take on former champions Carla Esparza, Rose Namajunas and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Having not competed since 2021, there will be question marks over the sharpness of Pinheiro, however her quality should shine through in this bout to collect a victory and send her charging up the women's strawweight rankings.
Key Stats
- Michelle Waterson-Gomez hasn't won since a 2020 contest with Angela Hill.
- All of Luana Pinheiro's wins by finish have come in the first round.
Suggested Bets
- The fight to go the distance - Yes.
Gerald Meerschaert vs Joe Pyfer
Two men looking to affect their reputations as well as their rankings face off in a middleweight contest as Gerald Meerschaert takes on Joe Pyfer.
Meerschaert doesn't get the respect he deserves in the UFC, holding the record for most submissions in UFC middleweight history at nine, Meerschaert is still best known for his 17 second knockout loss to Khamzat Chimaev.
Pyfer has no such concerns, a superb knockout in his appearance on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series ended with Dana White giving him a UFC contract and a personal message to all future fighters to appear on the show.
"Be like Joe Pyfer"
That high praise from the boss filtered through to his UFC debut as he secured another impressive UFC victory, this time over North Macedonian fighter Alen Amedovski in the first round.
A classic striker vs grappler affair, this fight will come down to who can best implement their game plan, whoever can dictate where the fight will take place will come out victorious.
Meerschaert's expert grappling is trouble for anyone in the division, but for someone like Pyfer whose two career losses have come from grappling related incidents, he must be extra wary and switched on when he enters the cage.
Pyfer has exceptionally heavy hands, finishing all but three of his ten career wins by knockout displays that, and Meerschaert's kill or be killed style which is so fan friendly leaves him very susceptible to the power Pyfer possesses.
Key Stats
- 88% of Gerald Meerschaert's fights have ended by either KO/TKO or submission.
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Joe Pyfer has won 70% of his career fights by KO.
Suggested Bets
Karl Williams vs Chase Sherman
Short notice assignments are nothing new for Karl Williams, and the man from The US Virgin Islands gets another late call this time to face Chase Sherman.
After an impressive upset victory on short notice against Jimmy Lawson to secure a UFC contract, Karl Williams made his debut in the UFC against another veteran of Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, this time against Lukasz Brzeski.
A dominant performance there saw him get off the mark in the UFC and his fight with Sherman is a great opportunity to show off his skills.
Sherman has 14 fights in the UFC across two spells with the company but has been lacking in quality across all of them, his only wins coming across the lowest tier of opposition including Jared Vanderaa and Ike Villanueva.
Appearing on your opponents highlight reel is not something any fighter wishes to make a habit of, but Sherman has managed it for the likes of Walt Harris and Alexandr Romanov most notably, losing those fights by knockout and submission in spectacular style.
Williams' best asset is his ability to wrestle, he managed to defeat Lawson using it despite Lawson's extensive wrestling background, this is very troublesome for Sherman who is not known for his defensive wrestling ability or his ability to get up from the bottom once he has been taken down.
This will be a coming out performance for Karl Williams, the jitters that come with your UFC debut will have been washed away and in facing Chase Sherman he has a huge chance to make a statement to the heavyweight division, announcing his intentions in dramatic style.
Key Stats
Suggested Bets
- Karl Williams to win by KO/TKO.
