UFC 281 Preview
Every UFC fan is aware of how fantastic UFC 281 will be. Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira for the middleweight title is unquestionably the best fight of the night, and the main card is also packed with incredible talent. In fact, I firmly feel that the Lightweight fight between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler will be one of the best to watch. I’ll tell you all you need to know about this fight, the best places to get the greatest odds, and where to watch it live, in my UFC 281 preview.
Israel Adesanya: Fighter History
You are probably aware of how much of a fan I am of Adesanya if you have seen my previous previews of UFC fights. The Last Stylebender made his UFC debut on February 11, 2018, and since then, he has established himself as a star in the organization and the middleweight champion, successfully defending his title five times against opponents like Robert Whittaker, Martin Vettori, Paulo Costa, and J. Cannonier in his most recent contest. His only defeat in the UFC came at the hands of Polish powerhouse J. Blachowicz at light heavyweight. Other than that, Izzy has everything to become the best fighter in his division if he manages to keep winning as he is right now, which is something I genuinely believe will happen.
Alex Pereira: Fighter History
There is a very good probability that you have never heard of Alex Pereira if you don’t watch UFC or MMA. Given that he only made his debut on September 3, 2021, he is still something of an unknown quantity. You might assume that Alex Pereira, who is already 35 years old and only joined the organization when he was 34, will struggle against Izzy. However, Alex Pereira is the only person alive to have ever knocked out Israel in a match and won twice against him when they were competing in the Chinese kickboxing promotion Glory of Heroes.
As a result, Alex cannot be left out of the fight, in fact, in my opinion, he is the only man who has a chance of defeating Izzy. The fact that Alex Pereira knocked out Sean Strickland in the first round of their most recent fight is proof of how strong he is.
When is the Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira Fight?
The event will take place on November 12 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, New York, USA. The main card is available via pay-per-view on UFC Fight Pass on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, and Eastlink.
Have a look at our best online sportsbooks if you intend to bet on the UFC 281, or any other event.
How will the fight play out?
Although it’s difficult to predict how this fight will turn out, there are some things about both fighters that we should be aware of. First, both competitors have excellent striking skills and share a similar combat history and given that both competitors have already fought before two times, I firmly believe that this battle has all the makings of a fantastic one.
Regarding fighting ability, very few UFC fighters have Israel’s impeccable timing and skill at maintaining distance. However, when it comes to power, I don’t believe anyone possesses a left hook as powerful as Pereira except Ngannou.
I still believe that Israel will win this fight, even though Alex Pereira won two times by unanimous decision and by a left hook counterpunch KO five years ago. The reasons I believe this will happen are that Alex only joined the UFC in 2021. Even though he defeated Sean Strickland by knockout just over halfway through the first round in his last fight, Israel has a lot more experience and his defence has improved significantly since he joined the UFC back in 2018. Of course, there’s always a chance that Alex may succeed where he has before, but I have a strong feeling that won’t be the situation this time. The only thing I am almost certain will not occur in this match is that it will take place on the ground since none of these fighters are wrestlers.
My Pick: Israel Adesanya will win by split decision. The best odds at the time of writing are at Betsafe with +650. A $10 bet gives you a $65 return.
Here are all the odds for Adesanya to win by decision / split decision.
| Bookie | Israel Adesanya to win by decision / technical decision |
|---|---|
| Betsafe | +650 |
| Sports Interaction | -120 |
| BetDukes | +130 |
| BetMGM | +125 |
Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira Betting Odds
Here are the match-winner odds.
| Bookie | Israel Adesanya to win | Alex Pereira to win |
|---|---|---|
| Betsafe | -217 | +180 |
| Sports Interaction | -215 | +160 |
| BetDukes | -222 | +175 |
| BetMGM | -208 | +170 |
Israel Adesanya Stats
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Born: July 22, 1989
- Nickname: The Last Stylebender
- Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
- Height: 6′ 4″ / 1.93 m
- Total fights: 24
- Record: 23-1-0
Alex Pereira Stats
- Nationality: Brasilian
- Born: July 7, 1987
- Nickname: Poatan
- Birthplace: São Paulo, Brazil
- Height: 6′ 4″ / 1.94 m
- Total fights: 40
- Record: 33-7
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