Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden in New York.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
See what the fighters from UFC 281 went with as their backing tracks in New York.
See the top Twitter reactions to Zhang Weili’s title win over Carla Esparza in the UFC 281 co-main event.
[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] achieved the feat of becoming strawweight champion for a second time on Saturday when she dethroned [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] of the belt in the UFC 281 headliner.
After dropping the strap in April 2021, Weili (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) climbed back to the top of the mountain with a second-round submission win over Esparza (19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) at Madison Sqaure Garden in New York.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Weili’s victory over Esparza at UFC 281.
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Check out the best photos from Zhang Weili’s second-round submission win over Carla Esparza at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]’s second-round submission win over [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos by Jessica Alcheh, USA TODAY Sports)
Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 281 odds and lines between Carla Esparza and Zhang Weili, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.
In a women’s strawweight championship bout in the co-main event, Carla Esparza and Zhang Weili meet Saturday at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the UFC 281: Esparza vs. Zhang odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with the prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, and the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View.
Esparza has picked up victories in 6 straight fights, including a split-decision victory over Rose Namajunas at UFC 274 as “Cookie Monster” earned the women’s strawweight strap for the first time.
In the past 6 fights, Esparza has just 1 finish, a KO/TKO win over Yan Xiaonan in late May 2021. Oddly enough, 3 of the wins were via split decision, including the win over Namajunas, with one majority decision and a unanimous decision against Virna Jandiroba in April 2019.
Zhang knocked out Joanna Jedrzejczyk with a Round 2 KO/TKO at UFC 275 in June, bouncing back after a pair of losses to Namajunas. The knockout prompted Joanna to lay down her gloves and retire in the octagon.
Zhang went the distance in 3 of the past 7 fights, with a split-decision loss to Namajunas as the most recent decision.
The Chinese fighter has the punching power to cut Esparza’s night very short. Zhang has a 5.78-to-2.20 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, while Esparza has the advantage in the takedown average lead. Zhang will look to keep this an upright brawl, while Esparza’s best chance is to get this to the canvas.
Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:38 a.m. ET.
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Records: Esparza (20-6-0) | Zhang (22-3-0)
Zhang (-380) will cost you over 3 1/2 times your potential return if you believe she is going to snag the title strap from Esparza. While I agree Zhang is going to pick up the win here, betting the 2-way line straight up is too risky.
Esparza isn’t going to give up her belt easily. She makes everyone work for it, going the distance in 5 of the past 6 fights and 10 of the past 12.
ZHANG BY POINTS (+210) for the chance to double up is the best play on the board in this fight as long as Esparza can avoid the big punch knockout.
OVER 4.5 ROUNDS (+102) is a decent play at plus money, and better than Yes (+105): Fight to go the distance if you don’t want to declare a winner, and want a little wiggle room. Either of these wagers is good, though, as Esparza goes the distance frequently and this will be no exception.
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Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of the stacked UFC 281 event in New York.
UFC 281 takes place Saturday with two title fights atop the card, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live streaming watch-along right here, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. The guys will be joined by Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick.
In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] puts his title on the line against kickboxing foe [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]. The co-headliner pits strawweight champion [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] against former champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]. The card also features a pivotal lightweight showdown between [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].
UFC 281 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
Below is the lineup of fights included in the watch-along:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 281.
UFC 281 takes place Saturday with two title fights atop the card, but before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a preview show right here at 5 p.m. ET.
In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] puts his title on the line against kickboxing foe [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]. The co-headliner pits strawweight champion [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] against former champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]. The card also features a pivotal lightweight showdown between [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].
UFC 281 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
Below is the complete UFC 281 lineup:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn and Nolan King take you behind the scenes ahead of UFC 281 in New York.
NEW YORK – The UFC makes its annual stop in New York on Saturday for UFC 281, perhaps the biggest event of the year on paper.
There’s buzz behind the card, which will see a pair of championship fights unfold, as well as other key matchups at Madison Square Garden. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
In the main event, old rivals are renewed as [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) defends his middleweight title and looks to avenge a pair of kickboxing losses to [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). The co-main event features women’s strawweight champion [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) looking to prove the doubters wrong against former champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC).
Also on the card, a bout between popular lightweights [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is on top.
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn and Nolan King have been “On the Ground” all week for the event, and they caught up with some key players while exploring the city ahead of fight night. Check out the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
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Watch the final faceoff between women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza and former titleholder Zhang Weili before UFC 281 in New York.
NEW YORK – [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] and [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] had their final faceoff at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of their UFC 281 co-main event title fight.
Esparza (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will put the women’s strawweight belt on the line for the first time in her second stint as champion when she takes on former titleholder Zhang Weili (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the co-feature.
Watch the video above to see the UFC 281 ceremonial weigh-in faceoff between Esparza and Weili.
UFC 281 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
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In the fifth episode of “Embedded” ahead of UFC 281 in New York, go behind the scenes at the press conference and a special photo shoot.
The UFC is back with its latest pay-per-view and a return to New York, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.
UFC 281 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
The main event is a middleweight title fight between champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) and challenger [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). They have met twice before – but in kickboxing. Pereira has a pair of wins over Adesanya in those bouts.
The co-main event is a women’s strawweight title fight between champ [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and former titleholder [autotag]Zhang Weil[/autotag]i (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC). In addition, [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC) in a key lightweight bout, and former lightweight champion [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] (24-10-1 MMA, 18-10-1 UFC) fights in what likely will be his final bout when he meets [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] (18-3-2 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) at bantamweight.
The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:
Champs Israel Adesanya and Carla Esparza join their opponents at the UFC 281 presser; Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier face off. Zhang Weili and Frankie Edgar train for their next chapters. Izzy and Alex Pereira pose at a landmark.
Also see:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
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Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 281 main card, featuring Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira and Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili.
| Adesanya vs. Pereira |
Esparza vs. Weili |
Chandler vs. Poirier |
Edgar vs. Gutierrez |
Hooker vs. Puelles |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 176-105 |
 Adesanya (51%) |
 Weili (86%) |
 Poirier (69%) |
 Gutierrez (64%) |
 Hooker (55%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 187-99  2018 Champion |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Poirier |
Gutierrez |
 Puelles |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 180-106 |
Adesanya |
 Esparza |
Poirier |
Gutierrez |
Puelles |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 179-107 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Poirier |
Gutierrez |
Puelles |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 176-110 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Poirier |
 Edgar |
Hooker |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 175-111 2014 Champion |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Poirier |
Gutierrez |
Puelles |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 173-113 |
 Pereira |
Weili |
 Chandler |
Edgar |
Hooker |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 173-113 |
Pereira |
Esparza |
Poirier |
Edgar |
Puelles |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 167-119 2017 Champion |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Chandler |
Gutierrez |
Puelles |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 166-120 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Poirier |
Gutierrez |
Hooker |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 157-129 |
Adesanya |
Esparza |
Chandler |
Edgar |
Puelles |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 140-146 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Chandler |
Gutierrez |
Puelles |
The UFC is back in the “Big Apple” with a pair of title fights at the top of the bill.
UFC 281 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
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In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who holds two wins over him in kickboxing. Adesanya is a -220 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Pereira is +170. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers largely are sticking with the champ at a big 9-2 clip.
In the co-feature, women’s strawweight champ [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) defends the title for the first time in her second stint as champion when she meets former titleholder [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC). Weili is the biggest favorite on the main card at 4-1 and has a big 8-3 picks lead.
Also on the main card, former Bellator lightweight champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) meets former UFC interim champ [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC). Poirier is more than a 2-1 favorite at the betting window and has a 7-4 edge in the picks.
Former lightweight champ [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] (24-10-1 MMA, 18-10-1 UFC) will fight for what is likely to be the final time when he takes on [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] (18-3-2 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) at bantamweight. Gutierrez is a -230 favorite and has a 7-4 picks lead.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (21-12 MMA, 11-8 UFC) takes on [autotag]Claudio Puelles[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at lightweight. Hooker is the favorite at -165, but Puelles is bucking the betting trend and has a big 8-3 lead from our staff members.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Adesanya (51 percent), Weili (86 percent), Poirier (6z9 percent), Gutierrez (64 percent) and Hooker (55 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.
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