There’s a temptation to call a fight card “stacked” simply for want of a better word. Perhaps even to kid yourself into the fact the bouts you will be dedicating time and possibly even money to will be worth your time. But no such hyperbole is needed with UFC 281. This card is beyond stacked.
Madison Square Garden is seen as one of the world’s premiere fight venues for a reason, and UFC will be honouring that tremendous legacy. The main event sees pound-for-pound candidate Israel Adesanya defend his UFC Middleweight Championship against Alex Pereira. The pair have history, with Pereira dealing the champion two losses during their time as professional kickboxers. But can the knockout artist repeat the trick against a fighter who has never been knocked down or stopped in his UFC career?
The co-main event keeps the title action coming, as Carla Esparza defends her newly-won UFC Women’s Strawweight gold against ‘Magnum’ Zhang Weili. The Chinese star is coming off a spectacular spinning backfist KO of Joanna Jedrzejczyk while Esparza won her second UFC strap against the feared ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas. Expect fireworks in this one.
Here’s everything you need to know about an all-star card in the Big Apple.
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, US
When: Saturday 12th November, 2022
How To Watch: BT Sport 2HD, 1am prelims, 3am main card (UK time)
Tale Of The Tape:
Adesanya
Place Of Birth: Lago, Nigeria
Residence: Auckland, New Zealand
Age: 33
Alias: The Last Stylebender
Record: 23-1 (15)
Height: 6’4
Reach: 80’’
Last Fight: vs Jared Cannonier, UD5, 2/7/22
Pereira
Place Of Birth: Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Age: 35
Alias: Poatan
Record: 6-1
Height: 6’4
Reach: 79”
Last Fight: vs Sean Strickland, KO1, 2/7/22
Main card
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira
Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili
Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler
Frankie Edgar vs. Chris Gutiérrez
Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles
Preliminary card
Brad Riddell vs. Renato Moicano
Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
Molly McCann vs. Erin Blanchfield
Andre Petroski vs. Wellington Turman
Early preliminary card
Matt Frevola vs. Ottman Azaitar
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Silvana Gómez Juárez
Michael Trizano vs. Choi Seung-woo
Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson
Carlos Ulberg vs. Nicolae Negumereanu
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
