Tag: UFC 281

Dominick Reyes returns against Ryan Spann at UFC 281 in New York

Former title challenger Dominick Reyes will return to the octagon at UFC 281 in New York for a showdown with Ryan Spann.

Former title challenger [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] will return to the octagon at UFC 281 in New York for a showdown with [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag].

Reyes (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Jiri Prochazka in a Fight of the Year candidate in May 2021, makes his comeback against Spann (20-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) on the Nov. 12 fight card, which takes place at Madison Square Garden.

MMA Junkie verified the booking with multiple people close to the situation, who requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Reyes, No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, is currently on a three-fight losing skid after beginning his career with 12 consecutive victories.

The skid began in February 2020, when Reyes lost a hotly contested unanimous decision to Jon Jones at UFC 247 in February 2020. He subsequently was knocked out in a vacant 205-pound title against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 253 in September 2020, before being knocked out by the now-champ Prochazka.

He’ll attempt to rebound against Spann, who is an honorable mention in the latest rankings and coming off a submission win over Ion Cutelaba at UFC on ESPN 36 in May. The Fortis MMA product has alternated wins and losses over his past five fights.

The latest lineup for UFC 281 now includes:

  • Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann

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Video: What will happen when Israel Adesanya fights nemesis Alex Pereira at UFC 281?

Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has arguably the biggest fight of his career teed up for UFC 281 against arch nemesis Alex Pereira.

We got the news this past week that [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] has his next title defense lined up – and it’ll be against what might best be described as his arch nemesis.

Middleweight champion Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) will put his title on the line in November at Madison Square Garden against [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who holds two kickboxing wins over him. They’ll headline UFC 281 in New York.

The fight still is three months out, but there will be plenty of buzz for it in the buildup. Pereira’s two wins over Adesanya came in a different discipline – but it’s still one that they both traffic in during their MMA fights.

Will the ruleset benefit Adesanya, who is coming off a dominant, albeit mostly uneventful win over Jared Cannonier? Will having 4-ounce gloves work out in Pereira’s favor, particularly after we saw what he just did to Sean Strickland?

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What kind of early predictions do we have for the big title fight in the mecca of combat sports? That’s what we asked our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Brian “Goze,” along with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Check out their reaction in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video below.

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Molly McCann booked to fight Erin Blanchfield at UFC 281 in New York

For her next UFC fight, Molly McCann will cross the pond and land in The Big Apple.

For her next fight, [autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag] will cross the pond and land in The Big Apple.

McCann has been booked against surging prospect Erin Blanchfield in a women’s flyweight bout set for UFC 281 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Blanchfield announced the booking Thursday on her Instagram account. The UFC has not yet made a formal announcement of the matchup, but MMA Junkie confirmed with an additional person who asked to remain anonymous.

McCann (13-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC), 32, is on a hot streak of three consecutive wins, which includes back-to-back spinning elbow finishes of Luana Carolina and most recently Hannah Goldy last month at UFC Fight Night 208. The British fighter’s popularity has soared in 2022, with both of her knockouts coming in front of raucous crowds at The O2 in London. The trip to New York will mark her fifth appearance in the U.S. where she’s 3-1, with her lone defeat a unanimous decision to Lara Procópio at UFC Fight Night 184 in Las Vegas.

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McCann mentioned wanting to fight Antonina Schevchenko after UFC London, but she’ll instead get Blanchfield (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who hasn’t tasted defeat since a February 2019 split-decision loss to Tracy Cortez in Invicta FC. Since then, Blanchfield, 23, has won six fights in a row, including her first three UFC appearances. She most recently submitted JJ Aldrich with a guillotine choke in June at UFC Fight Night 207.

With the addition, the updated UFC 281 lineup includes:

  • Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – for middleweight title
  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann

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

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Henry Cejudo says Alex Pereira ‘more diverse’ than Israel Adesanya, expects knockout at UFC 281

Henry Cejudo thinks Alex Pereira is the man to end to Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title reign.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] is the man to end [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]’s middleweight championship reign.

Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against former kickboxing foe Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 281 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Pereira already has beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing. “Poatan” had a fast rise in MMA, starching top contender Sean Strickland with his patented left hook at UFC 276 to set up a third meeting with Adesanya. Cejudo thinks that, with Pereira’s success against Adesanya in kickboxing, there are ways he can capitalize on some of the tendencies he thinks could hurt the champ.

“This is interesting, because Israel Adesanya hasn’t had the best performances and him not having the best performances, I’m saying being boring and everybody being critical of him, me being one of them,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “But I do believe with this fight you are gonna have two strikers, and I don’t think this fight is gonna go five rounds. I really don’t. I think just for the simple fact that Alex Pereira has experience with Israel Adesanya, and this is the way I see the fight coming out.

“Obviously Israel is a champion for a reason, but I also see the more the diversity that Pereira has I think is what makes him a little more dangerous, because there is one thing that Israel does leave behind, which is very wide, so I think he may end up changing this during the fight is his stance. Notice he’s very heavy on his legs, because he’s able to rock back and forth, and really a lot of mixed martial artists haven’t been able to take advantage of that front leg. But when you got a guy like Pereira who’s been there before, who’s a kickboxer, who’s known for kicking, this is where the fight could pay dividends on his side.”

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Cejudo sees Pereira as the more unpredictable striker with the better arsenal and picks him to knock out Adesanya if the fight stays standing.

“I just think he’s a little more diverse,” Cejudo added. “There are a couple of things that Israel does wrong in mixed martial arts, and I think Pereira is gonna end up capitalizing. No. 1 is his stance. He’s a little too wide. I do believe Pereira is gonna go ahead and pick at that front leg. He’ll tend to get people to come in, to eventually throw that hook. I think Pereira has been there before, where he has the ability to catch him with those right hands as soon as he (Adesanya) leans for that hook.”

He continued, “If it comes down to striking, I’m gonna go with Alex Pereira just for the simple fact that he’s beaten him twice before. This guy is more diverse with the kicks, with the jumping knees as we saw. These are things that Israel doesn’t necessarily do. Israel is the type of opponent that will chip you away, that will hurt you, that will end up finishing you in the later rounds. For Pereira, you just don’t know what you get. We saw it before: the jumping knees, the kicks, the left hooks, the right hands. I think he’s a little more diverse, so for that reason I’m going Alex Pereira by knockout.”

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Spinning Back Clique: New UFC light heavyweight contender emerges, Jon Jones taking too long?, and more

“Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show, discusses the emergence of Jamahal Hill, Jon Jones’ return timeline, and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

Our panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

  • Looking back at UFC on ESPN 40 this past weekend, [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] defeated Thiago Santos in what was a fast-paced, action-packed, back-and-forth thriller to assert himself as a new title contender at light heavyweight. Or is that too strong of a position for the DWCS alum considering we’ve also got Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev in the mix?
  • Also, this past weekend, [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] was bounced from the 2022 PFL lightweight playoffs after losing for the second consecutive time to Stevie Ray, this time a unanimous decision. The former UFC and WEC lightweight champion’s bid to win a third major title will have to wait. Furthermore, his contract expires after this season. At $750,000 a fight (disclosed), did the PFL get the return it wanted and should he be brought back?
  • Turning the page and looking forward, what are the stakes this weekend between [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] and [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 41 headliner? We have a former champ vs. someone on a quest to be a champ.
  • Looking forward even further, we got a HUGE announcement last week that UFC 281 in New York will be headlined by middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] defending his title against [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden. These two have met before in kickboxing, with Pereira up 2-0. What do we think? MSG, Stylebender, November … sound about right? What are the early predictions?
  • Last but not least, looking ahead even further, former UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] seemed a little perturbed and motivated by the notion from fans that he’s taking too long to return to the octagon for his heavyweight debut. Unless he headlines the UFC’s December pay-per-view, we will have gone two full calendar years without a Jones fight and not since March 2020 has he been in action. Could this long, drawn-out layoff hurting Jones?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.

‘I run towards the fire’: Israel Adesanya explains decision to fight Alex Pereira at UFC 281

The UFC middleweight champion will meet a familiar foe at the top of November’s pay-per-view event.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is now set to face the man who has defeated him twice in kickboxing, but the UFC middleweight champion is looking forward to their third pairing inside the octagon.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] is just three fights into his UFC career, with a total of seven professional MMA bouts. While his debut finish of Andreas Michailidis and his spectacular knockout of Sean Strickland at UFC 276 were impressive, any other fighter would most likely have more work to do before earning a shot at the title. However, when one holds two wins over the current champion, and the division is essentially cleared out, things can happen quickly.

Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) has a decision and a knockout loss against Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in kickboxing. It’s a big reason why many were excited to see Pereira enter the UFC.

After just three undefeated UFC appearances from Pereira, the third meeting will take place under the bright lights of the storied Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 12.

But why did Adesanya choose to face him now?

“I’ve always picked the guy no one wants to fight,” Adesanya said during an interview on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “The guy everyone runs away from, I run towards. So yeah, I run towards the fire, and this is no different.

“After he beat me in Brazil, I never had any plans of trying to get revenge or anything like that because I don’t hold on to things, I let go of things. But again, I’m telling you, the universe has presented this to me and it’s right there. The perfect alley-oop, and I’m going to slam this b*tch.”

Adesanya has defeated everyone in the top five of the USA TODAY SPORTS/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, which leaves No.6 Pereira as the next man in line for his shot.

With five title defenses (six, if you ask him) in his back pocket, Adesanya, will face a highly skilled striker who will be willing to exchange on the feet. That is a key element he believes has been missing from recent opponents, which he believes will create excitement for the fans. Adesanya will enter on the heels of a unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier at UFC 276, a fight that received boos due to the lack of action.

“I’m really excited to have someone finally who after the first round or the second round, they realize they can’t do sh*t and just want to be defensive,” Adesanya said. “I’m excited to have someone who’s going to attack me. Who’s going to try to finish me. He’s done it before in the past in kickboxing.

“So for me, it’s like is he going to get knocked out, or am I going to get knocked out? So that’s why you have to tune in and find out.”

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UFC 281 set with Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira headliner at Madison Square Garden

One of the most anticipated fights on the UFC docket has an official date and location.

Years in the making, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] are finally set to square off again. This time, it’ll be in MMA – on one of the biggest combat sports stages at one of the most iconic venues in the world.

UFC 281 is set for Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York and Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) vs. Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is set to headline, the promotion announced Friday via broadcast partner ESPN.

No other bouts have been set for the Nov. 12 pay-per-view at this time, though a lightweight bout between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler is being discussed, potentially for that date.

The matchup is the one the promotion has indicated would happen since UFC 276 took place July 6. On that pay-per-view card, both Adesanya and Pereira won. Adesanya successfully defended his title against Jared Cannonier, two fights after Pereira quickly knocked out Sean Strickland with his signature left hook.

Since former Glory Kickboxing champion Pereira went full-force into mixed martial arts in 2020, fans have hankered for a matchup against his two-time opponent Adesanya – even before he signed with the UFC in 2021.

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As for the two kickboxing battles, Pereira is 2-0 against Adesanya. The first meeting took place in April 2016, during which Adesanya lost a unanimous decision to Pereira – a decision Adesanya disputes.

The rematch took place in March 2017 and the full highlights of the fight can be seen in the video above. As Adesanya outlined during his UFC 276 pre-fight news conference, he had Pereira hurt prior to a table-turning left hook knockout by his Brazilian opponent.

You can watch the two kickboxing fights in full here.

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BRAVE CF lightweight champion Ahmed Amir eager to get on UFC 281 card in Abu Dhabi

Ahmed Amir thinks it’s time he got the chance to compete in the UFC.

[autotag]Ahmed Amir[/autotag] thinks it’s time he got the chance to compete in the UFC.

Amir (12-3-1) captured the BRAVE CF lightweight title in his most recent outing when he beat Amin Ayoub in September 2021. The often underestimated Egyptian fighter, who trains in Bahrain, wants to continue proving the doubters wrong and is confident he can hang in the UFC’s lightweight division.

He sees the UFC 281 card on Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi as the perfect opportunity to break through.

“I’ve been working toward my UFC goal for five years now,” Amir told MMA Junkie. “I’ve waited a lot and have done everything possible since that moment. I think I deserve a spot on the UFC Abu Dhabi card. As an Egyptian, I wouldn’t only be fighting for myself, but 450 million Arabs. I believe I can destroy most lightweights. This isn’t trash talk, but I know I can compete with the top five lightweights.

“Dana White, Sean Shelby, please give me an opportunity to compete on the Abu Dhabi card and I’ll prove that I’m the best. This has been my lifelong dream.”

If Amir gets his wish, he’d become the first Egypt-born fighter on the UFC roster and one of few Arabs overall. The likes of Mounir Lazzez and Ottman Azaitar made their UFC debuts in Abu Dhabi and Amir wants to join the select few Arabs who have gotten that opportunity.

UFC 281 announced for Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi

The UFC will return to Abu Dhabi in the fall.

The UFC will return to Abu Dhabi in the fall.

The promotion announced Friday that UFC 281 will take place Oct. 22 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

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The UFC frequently has visited Abu Dhabi since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in March 2020, holding three “Fight Island” shows behind closed doors that year. The promotion then held another show in January 2021, headlined by the rematch between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor at UFC 257, which featured a small capacity of fans.

The last time the UFC visited Abu Dhabi was last October for UFC 267 as Glover Teixeira dethroned light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz to become the oldest first-time champion in the promotion’s history. In the co-main event, Petr Yan reclaimed a piece of his bantamweight title when he outlasted Cory Sandhagen in a thrilling stand-up battle to win the interim belt. The event was attended by over 10,000 fans.

No fights have been announced for UFC 281 at this time, although presumed No. 1 lightweight contender Islam Makhachev has spoken about getting his title shot in Abu Dhabi this fall.

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