Tomás Yelmini
The best of mixed martial arts moves to a legendary stadium in New York, which used to host great boxing events: Madison Square Garden. In Manhattan, UFC 281 presents a lineup of compelling fights on a night that will feature two title fights.
Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira will fight for the middleweight belt, while Carla Esparza and Zhang Weili will clash for the women’s strawweight title. In addition, there will be three other main card duels, plus a handful of preliminary showdowns.
At JefeBet, we offer you the predictions for some of the most outstanding fights of the evening, and we will show you our predictions, as well as the information on how each of the fighters is coming to the respective clashes.
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Betting Preview for UFC 281 Featuring Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira and Other Big Cards on November 12, 2022
Israel Adesanya (-190) vs Alex Pereira (+150)
Middleweight
Israel Adesanya puts his middleweight title on the line against Alex Pereira, who has defeated him twice in kickboxing in the past, most recently in 2017, by KO. But the octagon is another story, and there the Nigerian stands as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC.
Prediction: Adesanya wins by unanimous decision.
[Israel Adesnaya vs Alex Pereira UFC 281 full preview here]
Carla Esparza (+285) vs Weili Zhang (-385)
Strawweight
In the co-main event of the card, Carla Esparza risks the strawweight title against Weili Zhang, in a high voltage clash, as the challenger has a past as a UFC champion. The monarch has a 20-6 record and comes in at a height disadvantage: she is 8 centimeters shorter than the Chinese, who enters this fight with a 22-3 record.
Prediction: Zhang Weili wins by technical KO.
[Carla Esparza vs Weili Zhang UFC 281 full preview here]
Dustin Poirier (-210) vs Michael Chandler (+165)
Lightweight
Fifth in the lightweight ranking, “Iron” Chandler comes from two consecutive defeats against Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje. But, in his last fight, he recovered and knocked out Tony Ferguson. Poirier was on a three-fight win streak, two against Conor McGregor, and earned the right to once again fight for the belt in the octagon’s most explosive division.
Prediction: Poirier wins by unanimous decision.
[Dustin Poirier vs Michael Chandler UFC 281 full preview here]
Frankie Edgar (+170) vs Chris Gutierrez (-215)
Bantamweight
This is not just another fight for Frankie Edgar: it will be the last time he enters the octagon. The 41-year-old MMA legend announced that the clash with Chris Gutierrez will be the last of his career. His opponent, with Guatemalan and Colombian blood, is 10 years younger and has a great opportunity, if he wins, to move up in the consideration of the bantamweight category.
Prediction: Gutierrez wins by unanimous decision.
[Frankie Edgar vs Chris Gutierrez UFC 281 full preview here]
Dan Hooker (-167) vs Claudio Puelles (+133)
Lightweight
Claudio Puelles is Peruvian, southpaw and has only 2 defeats in 15 fights. He will be measured against a proven Dan Hooker at lightweight. Although the latter is better considered, both will be looking for a win that allows them to move up and wait for the opportunity to go for a title.
Prediction: Hooker wins by KO.
[Dan Hooker vs Claudio Puelles UFC 281 full preview here]
Odds courtesy of Unibet. Read our review here!
