Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr. and NFL stars headline UFC 287 as Israel Adesanya stuns Alex Pereira

UFC 287 was a spectacular night of fights, and a few NFL stars were not going to miss the opportunity.

In the night's main event, Israel Adesanya regained the middleweight title with a stunning seond-round knockout of Alex Pereira. As his opponent had him seemingly cornered and unloaded a barrage of punches, "The Last Stylebender" suddenly unloaded a right overhand hook that wobbled "Poatan". Two more hooks sent Pereira down before a hammerfist put him out.

Some of the NFL's biggest stars surely enjoyed it, as Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow and top wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Odell Backham Jr. were spotted among the audience during the event. 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was also there, chatting with Jefferson.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was also present, and he had a short chat with Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald:

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What else happened at UFC 287?

Adesanya's return to title glory was not the only major moment of the night. In the co-headliner, Gilbert Burns spoiled Jorge Masdival's homecoming, as he mixed up his strikes and takedowns to wear out the Miami native and claim a unanimous decision. Masvidal, who was almost finished in the third round, announced his retirement after the fight.

Elsewhere, Rob Font and Kevin Holland scored highlight reel knockouts of their own against Adrian Yanez and Santiago Ponzinibbio respectively, Meanwhile, Christian Rodriguez halted Raul Rosas Jr.'s hype train, giving the 18-year-old prospect his first loss by unanimous decision.

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What challenges do NFL stars face heading into 2023?

While they may have enjoyed UFC 287, Joe Burrow and his fellow attendees have plenty to prove as the new season approaches.

Last season, Burrow's Bengals came up just short of another Super Bowl appearance, as Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs avenged their loss in the AFC Championship Game.

They enter the season with primary offensive weapons Joe Mixon, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd still onboard. On the defensive side, though, they lost safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III, who played a key role in their Super Bowl run, to NFC South teams (Panthers and Falcons, respectively).

As for the rest, Justin Jefferson is looking to build from his Offensive Player of the Year-winning campaign, while Odell Beckham Jr. is still looking for a team. Aaron Donald's Rams are looking to return to the playoffs after an injury-riddled 2022 campaign.

Meanwhile, Nick Bosa's 49ers are eyeing another NFL Super Bowl appearance, while Mike McDaniel is looking to take the Dolphins past the Wild Card.