Israel Adesanya will face Alex Pereira in the main event of this weekend’s packed UFC 281 show to defend his middleweight belt. He managed to keep his world title by beating Jared Cannonier by decision for the third time in a row at UFC 276 in July.
The Nigerian is already considered one of the greatest in the profession and will be motivated to reinforce this status further while competing against an old opponent. After losing to Pereira in a professional kickboxing match in 2017, Adesanya is now looking for vengeance.
Adesanya’s most recent bout was on the same event as Pereira’s knockout victory over Sean Strickland. The Brazilian will be aiming to capitalize on his opportunity to compete for the championship.
| Israel Adesanya | Middleweight | Alex Pereira |
|---|---|---|
| The Last Stylebender | Nickname | Poatan |
| 23-1-0 | Record | 6-1-0 |
| 6′ 4″ | Height | 6′ 4″ |
| 183 lbs | Weight | 184 lbs |
| 80″ | Reach | 79″ |
| City Kickboxing | Team | Teixeira MMA & Fitness |
| Nigeria | Country | Brazil |
UFC 281 Fight Card: Adesanya vs. Pereira Start Time
- Date:Â Â Saturday, September 10
- Venue: Madison Square Garden
- Early Prelims:Â 6 p.m. ET
- Prelims:Â 8 p.m. ET
- Main event:Â 10 p.m. ET (approximately)
Main card
- MAIN EVENT: Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira; UFC Middleweight Championship
- Carla Esparza vs Zhang Weili; UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship
- Dustin Poirier vs Michael Chandler; Lightweight
- Frankie Edgar vs Chris Gutierrez; Bantamweight
- Dan Hooker vs Claudio Puelles; Lightweight
Prelims
- Brad Riddell vs Renato Moicano; Lightweight
- Dominick Reyes vs Ryan Spann; Light heavyweight
- Molly McCann vs Erin Blanchfield; Women’s flyweight
- Andre Petroski vs Wellington Turman; Middleweight
Early Prelims
- Matt Frevola vs Ottman Azaitar; Lightweight
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs Silvana Gomez Juarez; Women’s strawweight
- Michael Trizano vs Choi Seung-woo; Featherweight
- Julio Arce vs Montel Jackson; Bantamweight
- Carlos Ulberg vs Nicolae Negumereanu; Light heavyweight
Adesanya vs. Pereira Live Stream and TV Channel
UFC 281 is available to watch on ESPN Plus in the US. BT Sport Box Office will stream the pay-per-view live for UFC fans in the UK and Australia.
