Tag: UFC 281

Glover Teixeira says Alex Pereira will make Israel Adesanya fight: ‘You’re getting touched by those hands’

Coach and training partner Glover Teixeira thinks Alex Pereira will force Israel Adesanya into a brawl in the UFC 281 main event.

[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] expects [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] to keep [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] on his back foot.

Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who trains with former light heavyweight champion Teixeira, challenges champ Adesanya for the middleweight title in Saturday’s UFC 281 main event at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Although he holds knockout wins over the likes of Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa, Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) has received criticism for his lack of activity in his past few title defenses. But Teixeira thinks Pereira will give “The Stylebender” no choice but to engage.

“I don’t see this fight going the distance,” Teixeira said in an interview with All Access MMA. “I see Alex closing the distance, getting the timing, getting his distance right, and Alex is a difficult fighter to go to a decision with him. I mean, it can go (the distance) because Adesanya moves away and tries not to engage all the time and be really quick getting out of punches, but he’s still going to lose that fight because Alex is going to keep pressuring him. Alex will make him fight, and that’s the problem. When you fight him, you’re getting touched by those hands. You’re going down.”

Pereira already has beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing, including once by knockout. If Adesanya tries to mix things up by taking down a far less experienced MMA fighter inn Pereira, Teixeira says it won’t work.

“(Adesanya) might go for a shot. He might go for a takedown. But good luck with that,” Teixeira said. “I think it’s going to be a standup brawl, and I see Alex beating him because he looks amazing.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.

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Michael Chandler confident his wrestling can beat UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev

Michael Chandler thinks he’s stylistically one of the toughest matchups for UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] thinks he’s stylistically one of the toughest matchups for UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

Chandler (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) hopes to earn another title shot if he gets past Dustin Poirier (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC 281 main card at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Makhachev (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) already dismissed Chandler as a potential title challenger even before he won the belt, but the NCAA Division-I wrestler thinks his credentialed background could give Makhachev trouble.

“I want Islam to talk about me. I want to talk about Islam,” Chandler said on ESPN’s “DC & RC.” “I do think I have the best wrestling on this (rankings) list you’re looking at. I have the best wrestling – good old-fashioned, passionate American, D-I All-American wrestling, and I do believe I can shut down Islam and I can beat him.

“Do I deserve a title shot with a win over Poirier? It remains to be seen. It depends on my performance, and it also depends on what the UFC brass wants to do. Either way, I’m going to be ready.”

Chandler hasn’t really leaned on his wrestling since joining the UFC roster. However, he won’t rule out the possibility of utilizing it against Poirier and sees it as one of his biggest weapons against all opposition.

“I trained a lot of wrestling,” Chandler said. “I’ve got wrestling in the back pocket. If you saw my career before I came into the UFC, I did use it a lot – a lot of dominant takedowns, slams, beating guys up on the ground. When I took Tony Ferguson down, he didn’t move. When I took down a lot of guys before, they don’t move, (like) Charles Oliveira. They can’t get out from underneath me.

“So I don’t say that to impress anybody and toot my own horn, but in that realm I feel great. In that realm, I can control guys. In that realm, I can drown guys and I could put a lot of pressure on them and put them in places that they don’t want to be. Is that going to be a part of this fight? Possibly. We’ll see. But it’s definitely a place that I feel confident and dominant against not just Dustin Poirier, but everybody in the lightweight division, including Islam Makhachev.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.

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Videos: ‘UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira’ media day interviews

Before UFC 281 on Saturday, the fighters are scheduled to speak to reporters at media day in New York.

NEW YORK – The UFC returns to “The Big Apple” on Saturday for UFC 281, which takes place at Madison Square Garden with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the card spoke to reporters at media day.

If you happened to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day fighter session.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.

Video: UFC 281 pre-fight press conference live stream

Watch MMA Junkie’s live stream of the UFC 281 pre-fight press conference in New York.

NEW YORK – The UFC 281 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and MMA Junkie will have a live stream of the event beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT).

The entire main card will be in attendance, including champion Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, who fight for the middleweight title in the main event; champ Carla Esparza and Zhang Weili, who meet for strawweight gold in the co-headliner; the featured bout of Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler; Frankie Edgar vs. Chris Gutierrez; and the main card opener of Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles.

UFC 281 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.

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Dominick Reyes to Jon Jones: ‘Get on the sidelines permanently or get in the game’

Dominick Reyes thinks former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has prolonged his return too much.

[autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] has prolonged his return too much.

Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) hasn’t competed since he edged Reyes out to retain the light heavyweight title in February 2020. He relinquished the belt six months later and has been working toward a heavyweight debut, which has yet to materialize.

Reyes (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) long has wanted to run things back after his controversial loss to Jones at UFC 247 and is surprised to see that Jones still hasn’t fought.

“Who’s to say, man? I mean, it’s been so long since he fought, since we fought,” Reyes said in an interview with James Lynch. “That whole literally ‘running from me’ thing, saying he doesn’t get paid enough to fight me again – the whole deal was a complete joke. Then getting arrested again, multiple times. Dude, make up your mind. You know? It’s hard to say because I don’t know who he’s training with. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t really care, to be honest. Either get on the sidelines permanently or get in the game. What are you going to do?”

After he lost to Jones, Reyes fought Jan Blachowicz for the vacant 205-pound title at UFC 253. He was knocked out in Round 2. He then drew current light heavyweight champ Jiri Prochazka in May 2021, but was on the receiving end of another knockout loss.

Now Reyes will look to snap a three-fight skid when he meets Ryan Spann on Saturday at UFC 281, which takes place 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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After ‘bummer’ over Rose Namajunas, UFC champ Carla Esparza ‘excited to put it all on the line’ vs. Zhang Weili

Carla Esparza is hoping her title defense at UFC 281 against Zhang Weili can erase the criticism of her title win over Rose Namajunas.

[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] is hoping her title defense against [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] can erase the criticism of her most recent fight.

Esparza (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) dethroned Rose Namajunas to capture the strawweight title at UFC 274 in May. It was a close decision win, but a lackluster fight overall that had little action.

Beating Namajunas (11-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) for a second time is a major feat, but Esparza knows the judgement surrounding their fight has overshadowed the accomplishment. However, when she enters the first title defense of her second title reign against Weili (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 281 co-main event, she wants to rectify that wrong.

“It’s definitely a bummer to win a fight like that,” Esparza said in an interview on Morning Kombat. “Winning a title – that’s always going to be a good day, right? Winning any fight (is good). Not being able to just have, like, this strong performance or this strong finish or just show all the work that you’ve been putting in camp, it is a bummer. And obviously, the fans were disappointed. It did definitely put a little bit of a cloud over the win, but that’s the right I can make in this fight. I’m excited to put it all on the line.”

Esparza tried to press the action against Namajunas at times, but Namajunas was uncharacteristically tentative.

“It is what it is,” Esparza said. “You had these kind of two conflicting game plans, I guess. Of course I wanted to go forward, and I think that I did, but I wasn’t going to be reckless with a fighter like Rose, who’s basically like a sharpshooter when it comes to knockouts. I think she was kind of waiting for me to lose my patience and get wild, which didn’t happen. Rose and I have together in our first fight and in just the past have put on a lot of exciting fights.”

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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UFC 281 pre-event facts: History at stake for multiple fighters on huge card

Go inside the numbers of Saturday’s stacked UFC 281 event, where multiple fighters have a chance to make history.

The UFC returns to New York on Saturday for its annual event at Madison Square Garden with UFC 281, which has a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A doubleheader of championship bouts is featured at the top of the card, with middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) set to take on former two-time kickboxing rival [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the headlining act.

The co-main event will see strawweight champion [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) attempt to kick off her second reign in positive fashion when she meets former titleholder [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind both title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 281.

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UFC 281 ‘Embedded,’ No. 2: Alex Pereira’s son recalls mocking Israel Adesanya after KO loss

In the second episode of “Embedded” ahead of UFC 281 in New York, Alex Pereira’s sons recall mocking Israel Adesanya after KO loss.

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 second 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:

Champ Israel Adesanya takes in some fine art. Alex Pereira sweats in the fresh air. Michael Chandler eyes redemption at MSG and trains with Kamaru Usman. Champ Carla Esparza embraces the process. Zhang Weili lands in NYC.

Also see:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.

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Firas Zahabi picks Israel Adesanya to beat Alex Pereira at UFC 281: ‘Adesanya’s defense is much greater’

Firas Zahabi thinks a glaring difference between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in New York is in their defense.

Firas Zahabi thinks a glaring difference between [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] is their defense.

Middleweight champion Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) defends his title against Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 281 main event at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Pereira holds two wins over Adesanya in kickboxing, including one by knockout. But Zahabi thinks Adesanya performed better in those fights overall.

“I think Israel Adesanya is going to win,” Zahabi said on his YouTube channel. “Why is he going to win? I went over their fights, I went over their footage. … I thought Adesanya won their first meeting. Their second fight, Adesanya was putting it on him and then he came back in the next round and got knocked out bad.

“Pereira has one of the greatest left hooks I’ve ever seen. (He’s an) incredibly dangerous man – incredible kicking power, incredible scissor knee. He’s an incredible finisher, yes. However, why am I picking Adesanya if (Pereira is) such a great finisher? Adesanya’s defense is much greater.”

Zahabi says Pereira has shown a tendency to get hit during his MMA fights, which he sees Adesanya exploiting. He pointed to his unanimous decision win over Bruno Silva as an example.

“Even in his UFC fights, he’s been hit,” Zahabi said. “One of his UFC fights, he got hit hard and he got hit often. He ended up winning a decision – still very impressive, but nonetheless, if you watch Pereira’s fights, as devastating as he is, sometimes he’s not consistently so and he does get hit a lot. Now Adesanya has consistently been performing every single fight. Take out his Blachowicz fight – he fought a guy who’s way too heavy for him.

“He’s been incredibly consistent his entire career, and I expect him to be consistent again this weekend. I expect him to have better footwork, better distance control, better defense and very similar offense. Adesanya is also a finisher. Adesanya has greater variety, Adesanya switches sides, Adesanya’s footwork is far better. Am I giving Pereira no chance to win? Not at all. I’m giving this a 51-49 in favor of Adesanya. Israel Adesanya also has the option to take Alex down.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.

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UFC 281 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Joe Rogan returns after two months

Joe Rogan will return to the commentary booth after more than two months for Saturday’s UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The ninth numbered UFC event of the year is rapidly approaching with UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.

Details of who will be working as commentators and analysts for the event have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the plans – and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.