Tag: UFC 281

UFC 281 official poster: Israel Adesana meets familiar foe Alex Pereira

Check out the official poster for UFC 281 that was chosen by fans, and the options that did not make the cut.

The UFC is returning to Madison Square Garden in New York, featuring two title fights and a banger at lightweight.

In the main event of UFC 281, UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] looks to defend his title for the sixth time against the man who defeated him twice in kickboxing, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag].

The co-main event will see two-time women’s strawweight champion [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] defend her title for the first time in her second run as the champion against former champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag].

The feature bout promises to be a firework show between former interim lightweight champion [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and former lightweight title challenger [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].

The UFC officially released the event’s poster Sunday and you can see it below (via Twitter):

The poster was chosen by fans on the Socios app, who were given three options to decide upon. All versions of the poster featured the six fighters competing in the top three bouts at UFC 281.

You can check out the two choices that didn’t make the cut below (via Twitter):

UFC 281 takes place Saturday, Nov. 12 at MSG in New York, with the main card airing on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

The current lineup of the event includes:

  • Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Carla Esparza vs. Weili Zhang – for strawweight title
  • Michael Chandler vs. Dustin Poirier
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
  • Seung Woo Choi vs. Mike Trizano
  • Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
  • Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola
  • Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles
  • Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Andre Petroski vs. Wellington Turman
  • Julio Arce vs. Montel Jackson

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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VIDEO: Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler clear beef on record – mediated by Daniel Cormier

Watch Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler try to clear their beef in a joint interview with Daniel Cormier.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] have history, and the most recent time they were seen near each other, well, let’s just say it wasn’t too amicable.

The two UFC lightweight contenders have traded shots on the media over the last year and have made their disdain for each other clear. Ahead of their fight at UFC 281 on Nov. 12, both Poirier (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC) and Chandler (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) participated in a joint interview – mediated by former UFC champion Daniel Cormier – to clear the air and open up about their beef.

You can watch the full interview from ESPN’s “DC & RC” in the video above.

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Chandler is coming off a Knockout of the Year contender against Tony Ferguson this past May at UFC 274. After suffering back-to-back losses against Charles Oliveira in a vacant title fight in May 2021 then a Fight of the Year with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 last November, the three-time Bellator champ bounced back with the incredible front-kick finish of Ferguson.

Meanwhile, Poirier hasn’t fought since UFC 269 in December, when he suffered a submission loss to then-champion Oliveira. That fight came on the heels of back-to-back stoppage wins over rival Conor McGregor.

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Watch Israel Adesanya’s epic trailer for Alex Pereira fight at UFC 281: ‘He who laughs last, laughs best’

Get hyped for UFC 281 with Israel Adesanya’s trailer for his fight against former kickboxing foe Alex Pereira.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] knows how to build up his fights.

In perhaps his biggest fight to date, Middleweight champion Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) meets former kickboxing foe [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 281 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden.

Adesanya will look to avenge his two losses to Pereira in kickboxing, where he was knocked out in the rematch. “Poatan” has had a fast rise in MMA and earned a title shot by knocking out Sean Strickland with his patented left hook at UFC 276 – on the same night Adesanya retained his title against Jared Cannonier.

Many view Pereira as the boogeyman for Adesanya, but “The Last Stylebender” welcomes all the doubters and critics. Ahead of his sixth title defense, Adesanya released a trailer that will surely get you hyped up for the fight.

You can watch the full trailer in the video below:

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Michael Chandler vs. Dustin Poirier grudge match on tap for UFC 281 in New York

Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier will settle their differences inside the octagon at UFC 281.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] will settle their differences inside the octagon this fall at UFC 281.

After tensions have been mounting between the pair since Chandler (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) made his UFC debut nearly two years ago, a three-round grudge match with Poirier (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC) will unfold on the Nov. 12 card at Madison Square Garden in New York.

MMA Junkie confirmed that both fighters have agreed to the lightweight bout after a Wednesday report by UFC broadcast partner ESPN, which cited UFC chief legal officer Hunter Campbell.

Chandler, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, will attempt to produce an encore to his insane Knockout of the Year contender against Tony Ferguson this past May at UFC 274.

After suffering back-to-back losses against Charles Oliveira in a vacant title fight in May 2021 then a Fight of the Year with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 last November, the three-time Bellator champ bounced back with the incredible front-kick finish of Ferguson.

He will attempt to secure the biggest win of his UFC career when he meets No. 2 Poirier, who hasn’t fought since UFC 269 in December, when he suffered a submission loss to then-champion Oliveira. That fight came on the heels of back-to-back stoppage wins over rival Conor McGregor.

Following his knockout victory over McGregor at UFC 257, Poirier opted to go with a trilogy bout with “The Notorious” rather than a championship fight. That allowed Chandler to slide into his spot, which prompted some friction between the two.

At UFC 276 in July, Chandler and Poirier were caught on camera being restrained after a cageside argument, laying the final piece of groundwork for them to get into the octagon.

With the addition, here’s the updated UFC 281 linuep:

  • Champion Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Champion Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili – for strawweight title
  • Michael Chandler vs. Dustin Poirier
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
  • Seungwoo Choi vs. Michael Trizano
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
  • Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell
  • Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola
  • Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles
  • Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Andre Petroski vs. Wellington Turman

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Dan Hooker books lightweight return vs. Claudio Puelles at UFC 281

Dan Hooker is headed back to lightweight in hopes of getting back on track against a rising UFC prospect.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] is headed back to lightweight in hopes of getting back on track against a rising UFC prospect.

The UFC veteran has booked his return to the division against [autotag]Claudio Puelles[/autotag] on Nov. 12 at UFC 281 on Nov. 12 in New York.

The news was first reported by FordewinMMA and later confirmed by UFC broadcast partner ESPN on Tuesday.

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Hooker (21-12 MMA, 11-8 UFC) is coming off a quick TKO loss to Arnold Allen this past March. The bout marked his return to featherweight after six years. Hooker, 32, is 1-4 in his past five trips to the octagon. His lone win during that stretch came against Nasrat Haqparast in a unanimous decision in September 2021.

Meanwhile, Puelles (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is looking to continue to build momentum in the UFC. The Peruvian fighter is on a five-fight winning streak, which includes three kneebar finishes. Puelles last fought in April and submitted veteran Clay Guida to win a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

With the addition, the UFC 281 lineup includes:

  • Champion Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Champion Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili – for women’s strawweight title
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
  • Seungwoo Choi vs. Mike Trizano
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
  • Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell
  • Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola
  • Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles

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

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UFC 281 adds Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez to lineup

A strawweight matchup between Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Silvana Gomez Juarez is the latest addition to UFC 281.

A strawweight matchup is the latest addition to UFC 281.

[autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag](13-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) faces [autotag]Silvana Gomez Juarez[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Both fighters confirmed the matchup on social media after an initial report by ESPN Deportes.

Kowalkiewicz snapped a five-fight losing skid when she choked out Felice Herrig at UFC Fight Night 207 in June. The submission marked the former title challenger’s first octagon finish.

After dropping her first two octagon bouts to Lupita Godinez and Vanessa Demopoulos, Argentina’s Juarez rebounded with a knockout win over Na Liang at UFC 275 in June.

With the addition, the UFC 281 lineup includes:

  • Champion Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Champion Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili – for women’s strawweight title
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
  • Seungwoo Choi vs. Mike Trizano
  • Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell
  • Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

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Carla Esparza announces UFC 281 title fight vs. Zhang Weili

The UFC women’s strawweight title will be on the line Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden.

UFC 281 has its second title fight, pending finalization.

In addition to the middleweight championship, the women’s strawweight title will be on the line when [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) defends it against [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC). The event takes place Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

An additional person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the targeted booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Esparza also announced the news on Instagram. MMA reporter Ariel Helwani was first to mention the date and event.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChaG9hErpDt/

At UFC 274 in May, Esparza defeated Rose Namajunas to win the women’s strawweight title for the second time. The fight was largely lackluster and Esparza won by split decision. With the win, Esparza extended her winning streak to six.

One month later, Weili knocked out Joanna Jedrzejczyk with a spinning backfist in Round 2 of their UFC 276 bout. Prior to that fight, UFC president Dana White had declared the winner would be the next title challenger.

In the wake of Weili’s victory, Esparza initially indicated injuries would likely force her out until 2023. Zhang had asked for UFC 280 on Oct. 22. With Esparza cleared of her injuries, the bout will take place later than Zhang wanted, but earlier than Esparza’s original timeline.

With the addition, the UFC 281 lineup includes:

  • Champion Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Champion Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili – for women’s strawweight title
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
  • Seungwoo Choi vs. Mike Trizano
  • Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell

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UFC 281 adds Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell to Madison Square Garden lineup

The UFC 281 lineup continues to get bigger and bigger.

The UFC’s return to Madison Square Garden continues to fill up with notable names.

A lightweight bout between [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is the most recent addition to UFC 281, the Nov. 12 pay-per-view event in New York.

Moicano announced the news Thursday in a Twitter Space with MMA Junkie, which subsequently confirmed the news with a second person with knowledge of the situation. That person asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Moicano has split his appearances so far in 2022. After a submission win against Alexander Hernandez in February, he turned around and took a short-notice fight against former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos less than one month later. The fight was five rounds. Moicano absorbed a ton of punishment but hung in the fight through the final bell. He ultimately lost a unanimous decision.

Riddell looks to bounce back after back-to-back finish losses to Rafael Fiziev and Jalin Turner. The two-fight skid comes on the heels of a seven-fight winning streak that included victories over Drew Dober, Jamie Mullarkey, and Magomed Mustafaev, among others.

With the addition, the UFC 281 lineup includes:

  • Champion Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann
  • Seungwoo Choi vs. Mike Trizano
  • Renato Moicano vs. Brad Riddell

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T.J. Dillashaw: Sean O’Malley great for MMA, but most likely Petr Yan will ‘run through him’ at UFC 280

T.J. Dillashaw doesn’t think Sean O’Malley has done anything to warrant facing a fighter the caliber of Petr Yan in the first place.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] lauds [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] for getting the [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] fight, but Dillashaw doesn’t think O’Malley is ready for it.

O’Malley (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) meets former champion Yan (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at UFC 280 on Oct. 22, the same night that Dillashaw challenges bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling for the title.

Yan will mark a significant step up for O’Malley, who’s coming off a no contest against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 in July. Dillashaw acknowledges that O’Malley is widely popular but thinks Yan will be too much for him.

“Yeah, absolutely surprised (by the booking), for sure,” Dillashaw told MMA Junkie. “O’Malley has never done anything to fight a guy of Petr Yan’s caliber, other than hype himself up. He does have a lot of fans, he does have a lot of hype, and he’s worked his ass off to get that. Part of the sport is being a salesman, and he’s done a very good job with that.

“So, he’s great for the sport. He’s great for our weight class and bringing a lot of attention. I don’t see him winning, but he’s got some range on him, and he’s got a pace, and we’ll see. But most likely Yan is going to be able to run through him.”

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Dillashaw (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) could see himself fighting the winner of Yan vs. O’Malley should he get past Sterling but also has his eyes on Jose Aldo. “The King of Rio” faces Merab Dvalishvili on Saturday’s UFC 278 main card at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

“Him or Aldo,” Dillashaw said. “I mean, Aldo’s been making a great statement, as well, too, so we’ll see which way the UFC wants to take it after I get out there and get my belt back.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s fight hub for UFC 280.

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Luke Rockhold: Alex Pereira ‘sucks on the ground,’ Israel Adesanya has to fight MMA to beat him

If Israel Adesanya can fight level-headed, Luke Rockhold is picking him to beat Alex Pereira in the UFC 281 main event in New York.

If [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] can fight level-headed, [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] is picking him to beat [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag].

Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) defends his middleweight title against Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the UFC 281 main event Nov. 12. Pereira beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing, including once by knockout.

The Brazilian quickly rose up the UFC ranks and with just seven professional MMA fights, he gets to challenge for the title. No one has been able to hang with Adesanya on the feet at 185 pounds, but if he doesn’t mix things up, Rockhold thinks it could cost him.

“It just depends on how Israel fights,” Rockhold said in an interview with Helen Yee. “If Israel tries to fight him because (Pereira is) in his head – and if he’s in his head and you let guys get in your head – you know he lost to him in a close one, and then he got clipped in the second one because he let him get in his head.

“He was in his head. You can see he was in his head. Israel’s got to check himself and he’s got to fight MMA. We all know Alex Pereira sucks on the ground. We all know even Israel could probably f*cking put him away on the ground. This kid is dangerous as hell on the feet, so it all depends on Israel’s head space and how he fights it.”

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Rockhold (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) returns from layoff of more than three years Saturday when he faces Paulo Costa in the UFC 278 co-main event in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

If he gets past Brazilian powerhouse Costa, the former middleweight champion expects to be next in line for a title shot.

“I’m not going to do anything else,” Rockhold said. “If I don’t get it, they don’t get it.”

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