{"id":68725,"date":"2022-11-10T15:27:28","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T13:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betcentral.onpressidium.com\/?p=68725"},"modified":"2022-11-10T15:36:36","modified_gmt":"2022-11-10T13:36:36","slug":"ufc-281-adesanya-pereira-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/machibet777-app.com\/ufc\/ufc-281-adesanya-pereira-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC 281: Adesanya v Pereira Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world\u2019s leading mixed martial arts promotion returns to Madison Square Garden with a stacked UFC 281 card<\/a> headlined by a championship double-header on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time), writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the main event, Nigerian-born superstar Israel Adesanya will seek to slay his boogeyman when he puts his middleweight championship on the line against lethal kickboxer Alex Pereira. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strawweight queen Carla Esparza faces former champion Zhang Weili in the co-headliner at the world\u2019s most famous arena while a third blockbuster bout will see Dustin Poirier collide with Michael Chandler in a much-anticipated clash of legendary lightweights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the greats Frankie Edgar will make his last walk to the Octagon to face Chris Gutierrez in his retirement bout at bantamweight and Dan Hooker returns to lightweight for what promises to be an exciting main card-opening clash against Claudio Puelles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
Bet Now: UFC 281<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAIN CARD (from 5 AM Sunday SA time):<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Israel Adesanya (1.48) v Alex Pereira (2.75) (Middleweight Championship)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Adesanya\u2019s always chased the toughest possible challenges, from freak of nature Yoel Romero and then-unbeaten Paulo Costa to moving up a weight class to face light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, \u201cThe Last Stylebender\u201d (23-1) faces a haunting ghost from the past, the one man who\u2019s proved to be his kryptonite in the most devastating fashion imaginable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At UFC 276 in July, Pereira (6-1) starched Sean Strickland – who\u2019d strung together a six-fight win streak over four years – in just two-and-a-half minutes before Adesanya defended his title for a fifth time with a decision victory over Jared Cannonier in the main event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that, it was confirmed. The two former kickboxing rivals would resume hostilities, this time in a mixed martial arts war inside the Octagon for the UFC middleweight title. The pair fought twice in kickboxing contests, with Pereira prevailing on both occasions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The intimidating Brazilian won the first fight by decision in 2016 and brutally knocked out Adesanya in the rematch the following year. In 79 pro kickboxing bouts (75-4) and 24 fights into his MMA career, it remains the only knockout loss of Adesanya\u2019s career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With his warrior spirit, the Nigerian-born and New Zealand-bred champion welcomes the opportunity to vanquish his boogeyman on the big stage at MSG and it\u2019s a fight he needs, not only for vengeance but also to win back the favour of many MMA fans whose cheers have turned to groans as he\u2019s gone from an exciting and aggressive rising star to a low-risk, defensive-minded champion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This switch in style and mentality saw his last three wins – over Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker and Cannonier – all come by decision and while they were rather dire, they consolidated his status as the best middleweight on the planet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undefeated in 23 fights at 185 pounds, with his only loss coming to 205-pound king Blachowicz, he won\u2019t veer from his methodical style but this promises to be a different fight as he doesn\u2019t have the overwhelming striking and reach advantage he has over all of his opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pereira will be calculated as well but because he\u2019s even taller and just as skilled on the feet, he\u2019ll press and ask questions of Adesanya that none of his previous opponents did. It\u2019ll be a super tense title tilt in which one wrong step can mean the end of the fight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adesanya doesn\u2019t have the one-punch knockout power Pereira does, but his timing and precision have earned him 15 knockouts, the flawless felling of Costa in 2020 being the most recent. His big advantage in this fight is his experience as Pereira\u2019s only had seven MMA fights and just three in the UFC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion\u2019s won six in a row and all but one by KO, with his lone loss coming by submission in his debut in 2015. He\u2019ll be fighting Adesanya\u2019s ego to get him to essentially keep it a kickboxing bout but \u201cIzzy\u201d would be wise to incorporate a few takedown attempts just to give his rival something extra to think about.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPoatan\u201d is an anomaly and his two kickboxing wins over Adesanya make him the best value underdog yet in an Adesanya fight. However, this is an MMA fight and Adesanya will draw on his experience to outwit and outpoint Pereira. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prediction:<\/strong> Adesanya via decision. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Bet:<\/strong> Adesanya by decision at 2.10.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternative Bet: <\/strong>Adesanya by KO\/TKO\/DQ at 4.00.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
Bet Now: UFC 281<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carla Esparza (3.65) v Zhang Weili (1.31) (Strawweight Championship)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That perfectly sums up the co-headlining title fight. The UFC\u2019s first-ever strawweight queen is back on the throne and the first defence in her second reign is an old-school striker versus grappler battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A gold-blooded member of a dying breed of specialists in modern MMA, Esparza (19-6) used her dominant wrestling to staple Rose Namajunas to the mat and grind out a split decision in May to recapture the crown. It was a full circle moment, coming over seven years after Esparza had submitted \u201cThug\u201d to become the inaugural 115-pound queen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

"It definitely takes two to dance."

Carla Esparza (@CarlaEsparza1<\/a>) is confident that Zhang Weili will bring out her best at #UFC281<\/a> \ud83d\udd0a\u2b06\ufe0f<\/p>— UFC News (@UFCNews) November 8, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>