•Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira at UFC 281
• Saturday, November 12th at 10:00ET
• Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
The long wait is officially over for all UFC fans who have been ready for the next primetime showcase to arrive. That’s right, Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira are all set to put on a show this weekend, with millions across the globe watching. In this piece, we have our best UFC 281 bets: Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira picks in what should be a memorable brawl. Who will come out on top?
Leading up to the matchup at Madison Square Garden, Adesanya is expected to come out on top in this one, and that’s not a surprise to many. He’s pound-for-pound one of the best fighters in the sport right now, known for his lethal power and great technique. Adesanya has countless fans ready for him to put on a show in such an iconic venue.
Madison Square Garden truly is one of a kind, and the fact that UFC 281 will take place there has his supporters even more excited about what’s about to go down. Entering this bout, Adesanya has an impressive record of 23-1-1. Meanwhile, for Pereira, he’s recorded a mark of 6-1-0. This has what it takes to be fun, but Adesanya is understandably feeling confident. Periera once beat him in kickboxing, but he doesn’t care about that.
| UFC 281 odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asesanya to win | -210 | -210 | -210 | -210 |
| Periera to win | +162 | +162 | +162 | +162 |
| Poirier to win | -115 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Chandler to win | +125 | +125 | +125 | +125 |
“I’ve never ever watched any of his fights, ever,” Adesanya told Sporting News Australia shortly after Periera took him down many years ago in a kickboxing showdown. “At the end of the day, no one knows who the (expletive) he is, and he’s going to be that guy when I’m world champion and when I’m a legend, he’s going to be at some pub talking (expletive) about ‘I beat that guy one time.'”
These two don’t like one another, which adds to the drama of things. Per the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, Adesanya holds -210 UFC betting odds, and Pereira is set at +162. Adesanya is the big-time favorite because he’s the better fighter. We’re going with him to win. Agree? Check out our best UFC betting sites to get a wager in.
In another monster showdown, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler will be a thrilling fight. If you follow the UFC closely, you know these guys hate one another. Their beef is well-documented, which only makes the Saturday meeting more interesting. These guys have been taking shots at one another leading up to things. There’s a lot of anger here.
Poirier is the better known fighter, but Chandler continues to gain more and more support. He will want to beat Poirier convincingly, as that will raise his stock in the sport. Poirier is focused on taking care of business, with his coach making it clear that he’s all in on the task at hand and that Poirier wants to send a message on Saturday night.
“He’s matured tremendously,” Head coach Mike Brown said about Poirier in an interview. “He’s much better when he takes his time. He also has tremendous conditioning, so he’s not going to slow down. A lot of the time, the longer it plays out, the better it is for him. I mean, no doubt it. He can get the guy out of there quickly and early. He has that ability, but I think he’s got so much skill, it doesn’t make sense to go in there and destroy the guy so quick.”
Poirier will enter this matchup with the better odds, as he’s been set at -115. Chandler is the underdog, as many expected, holding +125 odds. While we think this fight will be much closer than many people expect, Poirier has the experience to win these matchups. Our guts tell us he will have his hand raised at the end of the night, which is why we’re going with him as our pick.
In the co-main event, Weili Zhang should dominate at UFC 281, going up against Carla Esparza. Zhang is 100 percent the better fighter, and she’s going to look to send a statement of her own in New York City on Saturday night. Zhang isn’t expected to have much of an issue in this one, as she’s better than Esparza in every facet of fighting.
The oddsmakers agree as Zhang has been given overwhelming UFC betting odds for this one, being placed at -400. This tells you how dominant she can be with the gloves on. That’s also bad news for Esparza, who has been set at +285. It will take a miracle for Esparza to come away with a win. We don’t think that will happen, as we’re most definitely going with Zhang as our pick.
