Israel Adesanya. Photo / Getty Images
All the action as Israel Adesanya puts his UFC middleweight title on the line against Alex Pereira in the headline bout of UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
What’s happening?
Israel Adesanya will put his UFC middleweight title on the line in the headline bout of UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York, and this challenge might be the most anticipated yet.
Adesanya will square off against hard-hitting Brazilian Alex Pereira, whose 6-1 record might not garner a UFC title challenge in regular circumstances, but given he holds two wins over Adesanya in kickboxing, the fast track was open for him.
Fighting on the undercard of Adesanya’s last title bout, Pereira earned a quick knockout against a highly ranked opponent and called for a shot at Adesanya afterwards. When Adesanya responded, it was clear what the next match-up would be – despite Pereira only having three fights in the UFC.
What happened in their past meetings?
The two first fought in April 2016 in China under the Glory of Heroes promotion. After three rounds of high-level striking, Pereira was given a rather controversial nod from the judges.
About 11 months later, they met again – this time Adesanya traveling to Brazil to take the fight. The first round of that bout saw much of the same as the first fight with both fighters having their moments. Adesanya began to take over in the second round, and looked to have Pereira in danger late by forcing a standing eight count on his opponent, but Pereira was able to get to the bell and recover. While Adesanya appeared to be on top, he got caught with a left hook during the final round, with the shot knocking him out on the spot. It is the only fight in more than 100 appearances in combat sports that Adesanya has been stopped.
When they meet in New York, it will be significantly different. While many don’t expect it to feature, grappling is a key aspect of MMA. The sport is also contested in 4oz gloves rather than 10oz, and rounds are five minutes long instead of three. So, while they are familiar foes, the arena is a significantly different one. That said – the storyline is an easy sell, particularly given how Pereira has begun his UFC tenure.
Anyone else from down this way fighting?
Absolutely. In fact, there is quite the Kiwi contingent set to compete, with fellow City Kickboxing fighters Dan Hooker, Brad Riddell and Carlos Ulberg also getting amongst the fun.
Hooker will be making his return to the lightweight division after a brief foray down at featherweight, putting his No 12 ranking on the line against rising Peruvian contender Claudio Puelles. It’s a step back in competition for Hooker – whose last three opponents at lightweight have since gone on to challenge for or win the title - but poses an interesting challenge against a well-rounded young fighter on a five-fight winning streak who has made a habit of securing kneebar submissions.
Like Hooker, fellow lightweight Brad Riddell will be looking to bounce back from a couple of losses. Many have tipped his bout against Brazilian Renato Moicano as a potential Fight of the Night contender, given the styles of the two. Riddell, who has a wealth of experience in kickboxing, has won plenty of fans with his precise striking style, while Moicano combines solid striking with strong grappling. Since making the step up to lightweight in early 2020, Moicano has been a finish-or-be-finished type fighter, with only one of his five bouts in the division going the distance.
Ulberg, who will kick proceedings off at the event, will take on Romanian Nicolae Negumereanu in a light heavyweight contest that could launch the winning fighter toward the next tier. Ulberg has shown plenty of improvements in his MMA game over his last two fights, winning both through his striking prowess. A bout against the durable Negumereanu shapes up as another test for Ulberg, particularly given his opponent’s durability was a big factor in the lone loss on his MMA record. Negumereanu is also a strong grappler, and Ulberg is yet to really be challenged in that aspect of his skillset. An intriguing battle awaits.
When is it?
The action is set to get underway at 12pm on Sunday November 13 with the early prelims (featuring Ulberg). The prelims then get underway around 2pm (featuring Riddell), with the main card (featuring Adesanya and Hooker) starting from 4pm. Adesanya v Pereira will go down between 6 and 7pm.
Tale of the tape
Adesanya | Pereira
Record: 23-1 (15 KO) | 6-1 (5 KO)
Height: 193cm | 193cm
Reach: 203cm | 200cm
How can I watch it?
The main card, which includes Adesanya v Pereira and Hooker v Puelles, can be purchased on Sky Arena, Spark Sport and Sky Sport Now for $39.35. The prelims, including Riddell v Moicano are being broadcast on ESPN, Prime TV and Sky Sport now, while the early prelims, featuring Ulberg v Negumereanu are only available on the UFC’s subscription service UFC Fight Pass.
Odds
Israel Adesanya $1.47 Alex Pereira $2.75
Dan Hooker $1.62 Claudio Puelles $2.30
Brad Riddell $2.00 Renato Moicano $1.80
Carlos Ulberg $1.72 Nicolae Negumereanu $2.10